Crushing reminder for street racers
As boy racer tension revs up in Waikato, National leader Judith Collins says crushing a car is a good way to remind people the legislation still exists.
Five vehicles were impounded when police executed several search warrants in the Waikato region early yesterday morning targeting boy racer activity.
This comes after a recent event in Huntly where a man drove a loader into a boy racer meet up, damaging numerous cars in the process.
Collins said she could sympathise with the frustration people were feeling over the issue, but she didn’t think there was an issue with the current legislation, rather the way it was being used.
In 2009 the Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill was created, which gave courts the power to send cars owned by repeat offenders to the crusher and earned Collins the moniker Crusher Collins.
For a car to be crushed there had to be three offences in four years and the offences needed to be serious.
The first two times written notices were given and on the third time the car could be crushed, she said.
‘‘The problem is if the notices are not sent out, that is the issue.
‘‘A lot of the newer police officers would not even know about the legislation,’’ Collins said.
But she said this legislation has worked and can work.
‘‘Every now and again you have to have a car crushed to remind everyone it’s there.’’
She felt the current issue was police not being able to pursue vehicles as freely as they used to and they no longer felt empowered by their job.
‘‘If they have to just stand back with their hands in their pockets watching illegal street racing . . . what are they meant to do.’’
But Police Minister Poto Williams said she had not received any specific advice from police in relation to challenges with the current legislation.
‘‘I am aware of several high profile incidents related to illegal street racing. I acknowledge that this type of offending is upsetting to the community, and I would like to reassure them that both I as Police Minister, and the Police takes this offending seriously.’’
She said, where possible, police will impound vehicles and prosecute drivers for poor driving behaviour. Anyone caught damaging property will similarly be held to account.
A Stuff story published in 2017 showed only three cars had been confiscated and crushed since the legislation came in.
However, according to figures released by Collins’ office there were 15 crashes where ‘‘racing’’ was a factor in 2015, compared to 70 crashes in 2001.
Racing-related crashes peaked in 2007, when there were 116 accidents, that number declined following the introduction of the crushing law, according to Collins’ figures.
ACT MP Nicole McKee also questioned if police had forgotten the legislation was there.
‘‘It’s obvious they haven’t been using it.’’
However, now police in Waikato were acting and starting to impound vehicles she said they needed to be given the time to go through the process.
‘‘It’s great to see police being proactive.
‘‘The law was put in place to be a deterrent and if it’s not being used it’s not a deterrent.’’
McKee said the problem was not with the law it was with implementing it, and maybe implementing it too late.
‘‘We think it’s fit for purpose when it’s being used, and it’s great to see police doing it.’’
McKee said the law was originally brought in after a lone policeman was attacked by 300 boy racers, and she didn’t want to see other laws having to be brought in because of citizens taking things into their own hands.