Editorial: Let's not drive blindly into boy racer bylaw

OPINION: At first glance a bylaw to control the behaviour of car enthusiasts (dare I say boy racers?), seems like a sensible step towards solving a nuisance problem.

Palmerston North City councillor Chris Teo-Sherrell has asked chief executive Paddy Clifford to look into ways of dealing with "inconsiderate and anti-social road users".

That is a very formal way of describing people who hoon around The Square and city centre on weekend nights for the express purpose of making noise and attention-seeking.

Palmerston North would be following the lead of Christchurch, where its council has put a proposed bylaw in place to try to regain some order for its growing problem.

Before we follow that path, it would be good to see if a bylaw down south has any teeth, whether it's enforced and, most importantly, whether it changes the behaviour people complain about.

A bylaw is only one mechanism to help control behaviour. Other options could include looking at curfews or even shutting off some streets, perhaps around The Square as a trial, to stop the area being used as a cruising circuit.

There are two major problems with the introduction of a bylaw and a bylaw alone.

The first is that it will push the problem to other areas of the city.

Just because you make something against the rules, doesn't mean it will disappear. You push down on a social problem like this and it's bound to pop up somewhere else. There will still be the same number of people with cars wanting to cruise the streets.

The other factor is that people cruising in cars has been an issue since, well, for as long as people have had cars to cruise around in. The only difference is the cars are smaller, lighter, and faster.

On a side note, one could even argue that bringing in rules against the drivers and their cars, would be a bit hypocritical considering generations past have been allowed to get away with it.

Bringing in a bylaw is an avenue worth exploring to clamp down on the situation, just don't expect it alone to fix the problem.

Manawatu Chamber of Commerce and the Manawatu Standard are teaming up to host a Business After-5 function this evening. An informal get-together like that is always a good opportunity for staff at the paper to create connections in the community and build on existing ones.

It's also a chance for readers, advertisers, and supporters of the paper, to ask questions of us for a change. The events are a great asset to the region's business community and help break down barriers between organisations and strengthen bonds between them. If you're popping along, come over and introduce yourself. I'll be the one by the hors d'oeuvres.

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