Boy racers don't like bylaw plan

BY JONATHON HOWE AND GRANT MILLER

Boy racers have hit back at plans to introduce an anti-cruising bylaw in Palmerston North, with one suggesting that people who dislike loud cars should wear earplugs.

Palmerston North City Council has considered drafting a bylaw that could lead to cruising – driving repeatedly on the same stretch of road – being banned in problem spots like The Square, and Centennial and John F Kennedy drives.

Leading the charge is councillor Chris Teo-Sherrell, who said his primary focus was to protect the well-being of the community, particularly those wanting a decent night's sleep.

People were often intimidated by boy racers doing laps of the same area, so the bylaw would give police another tool to deal with anti-social road use, Mr Teo-Sherrell said.

But Palmerston North's boy racers are unhappy with the proposed ban, saying it will restrict their ability to socialise.

Labourer Daniel Weston, who drives a Mazda with a loud bore exhaust, believes earplugs, not bylaws, would solve the problem.

After working all week, the 19-year-old said he and his friends enjoyed driving around the city on Friday and Saturday nights. "It's the only chance we get to show off our cars. To have a bylaw saying we can't go out driving, I think that's a bit too much."

Part-time mechanic Jay Burns, 21, said the council plans were blowing the boy racer issue out of proportion.

"There's plenty more wrong being done by drivers in the city, like running lights and cutting people off, but everyone gets negative on boy racers rather than focusing on other problems."

Mr Burns said authorities should focus their energies on the recent spate of violent attacks by youths in the city.

"It gets back to the idea of 'why not build somewhere for us to do all this'? They spend a few hundred grand on sculptures – why not spend that on a concrete pad in the middle of nowhere?"

Mr Teo-Sherrell defended the plans, saying no car owners should be able to intimidate people or disturb their sleep.

"People shouldn't have to wear ear plugs to get to sleep in their own homes."

It was unclear at this stage how such a bylaw would be enforced or what penalties drivers might incur, Mr Teo-Sherrell said.

Christchurch City Council has opened similar plans for an anti-cruising bylaw to public submission. The draft bylaw would ban cruising on all multi-lane roads in Christchurch, about 50 roads, making it illegal to cruise in those areas between 10pm and 5am from Thursdays to Mondays.

Fines for breaching the bylaw could range between $150 and $1000.

A Manawatu Standard website poll has 148 people voting in favour of the proposed bylaw and 43 against it.

WHAT IS CRUISING:

The Land Transport Act 1998 defines cruising as driving a motor vehicle repeatedly in the same direction over the same section of a road in a manner that draws attention to the power or sound of the engine, or creating a convoy that is formed otherwise than in trade and impedes traffic flow.

READER TEXTS:

Against the bylaw

No way should there b an anti-cruising law. It's meant to b a free country.

U can't stop people driving their cars around. What's wrong with doing mods to your car. It's a good hobby. Don't live next to main road if u don't like noise.

What's next? Are u going to ban people standing in groups because that's anti-social behaviour, intimidating and a nuisance!

For the bylaw

Regarding cruising bylaw, all good, as long as V8s, hot rods, classic and old school cool rides are exempt! Kahawaru

Re: Cruising bylaw. Yes please. Include Featherston and Vogel streets. BH

Cruising bylaw. Bring it on. Make Centennial Drive a toll road after 10pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News