Northland Police targeted boy racers and illegally modified cars with ‘huge success’ during the weekend.
Thirteen unsafe vehicles with significant vehicle faults were ordered off the road, and another three impounded by Police in Whangārei on Friday night.
Police conducted 80 breath tests and found three drivers were driving with excess breath alcohol levels, and two driving while disqualified.
One driver was charged with illegal acceleration. All six offenders will now appear in court.
During the weekend, cars pulled over were thoroughly examined by Police vehicle inspectors.
Altered seatbelts, suspension, exhausts, airbag modifications, window tints, lighting, tyres and window stickers were just some of the vehicle faults detected.
Police issued 48 infringement notices, which included underage drinking, breaching licence conditions and other varying road safety offences.
Senior Sergeant Stephanie Hudson, Whangārei/Kaipara Road Policing Services Team Leader, says the focus was not only on dangerous and illegal driving but also driver compliance with driver licence conditions and vehicle safety standards.
“It’s about educating these drivers on what modifications are legal and those that make the vehicles unsafe for them as well as other road users,” Senior Sergeant Hudson says.
She says there was a noticeable increase in the number of young drivers with modified vehicles engaging in anti-social and dangerous driving behaviours, and the public were clearly getting sick and tired of cars racing around.
“We won’t tolerate the anti-social behaviour on our roads and we will continue to target people who are intent on offending.
”Police will continue to focus our efforts on those motorists whose driving behaviour puts themselves and others at risk.”
A car is impounded for 28 days. In order for it to be released at the end of that time, the owner has to pay the towing company’s towing and storage fees.
Depending on the offence committed, there may also be a fine but the release of the car is not dependent on the fine being paid.
Northland Police will continue to build on the weekends success in coming months, along with their continued focus on restraints, impairment, cellphone distractions and speed.
Police should really crack down on meth dealers instead of inventing new rules like “illegal acceleration”.
Let’s face it, public transport in Aotearoa is never going to cut the mustard. New Zealanders love their cars and that’s a fact. The realistic approach would be to plan for more facilities where young people (and it’s not just boy racers there are girl racers or hasn’t anyone heard of girls driving?) can test their cars safely away from Joe and Josephine public.
I don’t see nz police overly worried about those middle aged people using cell phones while driving, or illegally re-birthed cars being substituted for stock standard models, a major cause of crashes and road deaths, imo.