Road rage: Tensions flare at racer hotspot
Late-night boy racer antics could be banned on certain rural Waikato roads.
At least one Horotiu resident is so fed up he says he’ll take matters into his own hands if authorities don’t act.
Ross Mutton says the street racers tear up the tarmac and leave trash at the popular skid spot beneath the bridge at the Onion and Holmes roads intersection.
‘‘Everyone is pretty pissed off with the mess, the rubber, the rubbish . . . the state of the roads.’’
Mutton was among residents who met with Waikato District Council, police and car enthusiasts to nut out solutions to the Onion Rd skid sessions back in July. The intersection is a prime spot for the racer fraternity, offering ample street lighting and multiple exit routes to flee police.
After a month-long reprieve, Mutton says boy racers were back.
Last Friday, he and his wife returned home about 11.30pm to find 30 to 50 racers doing burnouts at the intersection.
"I couldn’t actually get through our gate. It was a hell of a big joke for them.
‘‘It’s unsafe to come home at night and it’s totally disrespectful.’’
Mutton presumes the racers heard the police call on a scanner and scarpered 10 minutes later. Within half an hour, 15 cars returned.
‘‘They were sitting there doing burnouts until their tyres were popping.’’
By Saturday morning, the intersection was trashed. Empty bottles, fast food wrappers, wire and black tyre marks plastered the road surface.
‘‘It’s getting worse and worse.’’ As well as regular illegal streetracing operations, Waikato road police Constable Dave Rogers, who responded to Friday night’s incident, said police were patrolling that section of Onion Road.
After the July meeting, Waikato District Council painted yellow non stopping lines along Onion Road.
Those found parked on the yellow lines were sent a $40 ticket and a letter, Rogers said. He hoped it would deter young drivers, and alert parents, some of whom were the cars’ registered owners.
Parents also need to know that insurers might not pay out, Road Policing Senior Sergeant Pete van de Wetering said.
‘‘It’s a common trap for parents who think they’re doing the right thing and buying a car and insuring it in their name.
‘‘If the insurance company knows that those cars are being driven in that manner by young people and not by the registered owner, they will have no insurance cover.’’
But Mutton says authorities need to do more. He wants mobile CCTV cameras.
‘‘CCTV cameras could be picking up three or four cars a night, easily, and confiscating them. Regos, loss of traction – done and dusted.’’
Since moving on to his rural plot six months ago, the Hamilton father has had to block access to the road.
‘‘We’re ratepayers at the end of the day and we get nothing out of this.’’
Waikato District Council roading manager Chris Clark said council is looking to create a standalone bylaw or amend an existing bylaw to curb both cruising and the gathering of boy racers.
A draft of the bylaw is expected to be completed in February. Public consultation will take place in March and May, ready to be taken to council in June.
‘‘We are working through the details in conjunction with the NZ Police at present.’’
Council had also discussed installing CCTV cameras, Waikato District Councillor Noel Smith said.
"My understanding is that unless CCTV is able to pick up the face of the person driving the car – therefore identify them – the police can’t take it anywhere.
‘‘I couldn’t support council spending money on something that wasn’t going to be effective. I feel for the residents, but it’s not something you can wave a magic wand at.’’
Van de Wetering said police would welcome cameras, but it would have to be implemented by council. ‘‘Anything that can assist us is helpful.’’