Crusher Collins hits the streets
So the Government's "cracking down'' on boy racers again. Can I hear the quiver of their engines from here?
This has been an intractable problem pretty much since they invented cars, though it's become much worse since they invented powerful, cheap ones.
I used to race around the streets of Christchurch in my MK1 Ford Escort many moons ago, which while it looked pretty cool (I thought) did not possess the requisite power to pull the skin off a rice pudding.
As a consequence my attempts to burn anyone off at the lights in command of anything more powerful than a scooter usually ended in humiliation.
The best fun available to me and my friends was the railway "hump'' on Glandovy Road, which if approached at the required speed would result in a brief lift-off and much hilarity. Ah, it was the little things that amused us.
But the advent of cars with more cubic centimetres than the IQ of the person driving at a price even a teenager could afford, coupled with cellphones and text messaging, has led to a massive problem in some communities, and Christchurch in particular.
I don't have boy racers around where I live in Wellington, but if I did I'm sure that crushing their cars would be the very kindest solution I could come up with.
While the problem is not going to go away no matter what the Government and the police try to do (unless the current recession solves it for us or the price of oil eventually renders the whole argument moot) the two bills introduced by National today make a pretty good fist of trying to do something.
Labour is already complaining that it's not the legislation already on the books that is the issue but the way it's being interpreted by the courts, and it's true that something like only 2% of all street racing offences currently result in the confiscation of a vehicle.
And Labour did do quite a bit towards mitigating the problem with Clayton Cosgrove's own boy racer bill a few years back.
But there's no getting away from the fact that the problem's been at least as bad, if not worse, and the police were crying out for more powers. National has listened, and what they are proposing seems to me to be a reasonably comprehensive but fair list of potential solutions.
"Crusher'' Collins has got her way in the legislation, with the crushing of cars being retained as a last-ditch option. Her obvious glee at this could not be contained today, and she beamed like a cheshire cat as she repeated her line about every offence taking boy racers "closer to the crusher'' three times to make sure the TV cameras caught it OK.
This is the hook, of course, but not the actual meat of the legislation, since even Crusher admits that only around 10 cars a year are likely to be destroyed under the bill.
For the most part, what the two bills introduced today will do is give police more powers to impound, direct vehicles to a given address, take the ignition keys, and generally stop boy racers in their tracks as and when they are being annoying.
The Government seems to have recognised that simply issuing fines to boy racers means almost nothing, so it's also cut the fines and ramped up the demerit points for licence offences, which is also a good idea, since it will lead to loss of licence.
The other interesting aspect of the proposed new laws is the "anti-cruising'' component, which will allow local councils to set up bylaws that forbid cruising on certain streets. In theory, it's not a bad idea, but I can see a few problems.
The first fight will be over the area defined as anti-cruising. Will councils try to make the entire city a no-go area? Or just certain streets? If they do define specific areas, those just outside will almost certainly complain.
Second, who decides who is "cruising''? According to Transport Minister Steven Joyce, "cruising'' means repeatedly driving the same street in a manner likely to draw attention, or to attract a convoy of vehicles.
Well, I do that every time I'm looking for a park in central Wellington.
I also wonder whether police will really be able to enforce this. If 300 or 400 cars are cruising Bealey Avenue in Christchurch, it would take a heck of a lot of officers to keep track of all of them, flag down each one, and put a sticker on it.
I'd be interested in the views of both boy racers themselves and residents annoyed by them on this. Will these laws make any difference? Interestingly the Government has decided against providing any legal burnout areas in the new laws, saying they don't work and boy racers aren't interested in them anyway because they're not illegal.
But if that's the case, and boy racers simply crave excitement, then the new provisions will be doubly exciting since the offences they can create have just become that much more illegal.
Good on the Government for doing something about this. But if I was living inside Christchurch's four avenues I wouldn't be disposing of my ear plugs just yet.
Sponsored links
Newest First
Oldest First
"She beamed like a cheshire cat as she repeated her line about every offence taking boy racers "closer to the crusher" three times to make sure the TV cameras caught it OK."
Is there a hint of Cruella De Vil here, Colin?
Right on .Come on all you PC whingers . Even Clayton Cosgrove ,when interviewed by Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB tonight was at a loss for words. To give Mr Clayton his due . When Labour was in power he was a voice crying in the wilderness about Christchurch and our problems with boy racers.Labour sat on its hands and did nothing . Crusher Collins and our Prime Minister have followed through with their election promises and seem to have the public and police on side.
If parents are prepared to let their names appear on ownership papers while their little darlings are terrifying people in this city , Christchurch ,they deserve to lose their cars. The law which will mean that drivers will lose their licences and the cars will be sold to repay fines is long overdue.Presently these "hoons" are thumbing their noses at the justice system and the police but when their precious cars and licences are taken things will change.
Colin
i agree completely. however i invite you to take a trip to Eastbourne at around 11pm on a thursday, the boat ramp has to be closed by 9pm to prevent boy racers doing burnouts and throwing bottles at passing cars, including the local policeman. on one occasion burning an entire car. the tougher the legislation the better.
aside from the cruising clause, im sure the boy racers will claim they are all merely trying to find parks on courtenay place....
its a good idea in theory. im a young male with a "boy racer" type vehicle. i own this vehicle because i take pride in it, i don't race on the street, in fact i think the people doing burnouts and skids are morons. but will that stop an over zealous police officer pulling me over and telling me that I've committed an unnecessary display of acceleration? and that it is strike one against my name. four years is a long time. enough time to be wronged three times.
The cruising rule to me is almost unenforceable. And to imply that when your cruising your trying to recruit a convoy to perform illegal street racing is just downright childish. I enjoy driing. sometimes i drive with no destination in particular, i'll just drive around my area for a while. Even with gas prices as they are. I consider myself a true car enthusiast. And just because i wear a hoodie and drive my car with a bodykit on it, i don't expect to be wronged by the very people i pay taxes to. my 2cents.
excellent, i don't think there is one person on this blog that hasn't had a guts full of screaming tyres, loud bore exhausts as they lie in bed at night, reading/sleeping or walking on a footpath as these hoons scream past...I still think it's too soft, but a good step in the right direction...this is where the green's lose support, as they allow Keith Lock to have is 'This is against their civil liberties' etc etc
Anyhow, good move!
Boy Racers are a story scripted straight from PC Heaven. They are antisocial tossers who skite, break laws and intimidate. They have been linked to some very serious crimes(including distibuting hard drugs such as P on behalf of the gutless gangs). They have noticed the huge swing in the legal system where the perpetrator gets a much better deal than the victim. The PC Police run round in circles frothing at the mouth and protecting these jerks. I hope that Judith Collins deals to these immature louts in the way they deserve. If that is to crush their cars so be it. After all these people will kill you without batting an eyelid. Is this the dawn of common sense returning to New Zealand!
Surely just banning the sale of those mufflers is a good solution as well as making the cars unwarrantable? Also, why not make it illegal for under 21 yearolds to drive cars over 1800cc and make it compulsory for them to have third party insurance like they do in the UK? I like the crushing cars idea but will the government have the balls? will any boyracer make it to 3 strikes? Some how i doubt it. This is all tough talk from the "crusher" Collins but has she got the nerve? No, i think not. Just another "fempoli" trying to make her mark in the boys club that is NZ politics
I heard Crusher was asked will the boy racers be in the cars when they get crushed?....apparently all will be revealed on Thursday!
Colin you say "don't have boy racers around where I live in Wellington, but if I did I'm sure that crushing their cars would be the very kindest solution I could come up with".
Well I do and given that we are a stones throw from the Beehive and Premier Hse this means that our street is the main drag from the City to Karori, where a number of these spotty face, hair gelled yobos reside. I just wonder why Wn Boys College turn out such cabbage. Their parents buy them these bangers and they terrorise the town with their throaty machines. Returning to Karori at late hours after their hooning in and around the Basin Reserve. Crusher Collins and she knows it, is on a loser. The legislation as drafted is in respect of 'a vehicle' not an individual. These cabbage losers will simply upgrade their vehicle when it comes close to the magic number for crushing. This allows them to start offending all over again, but in another Subaru. Result nothing crushed......but hey the Government has been tough....bollocks. Its simply a dumb piece of legal drafting. Better make a submission.
All rise - On the House stands adjourned
Dumb and dumber: Axing Heather Roy
Carter commits political suicide
Green leader out of line with protest
Get Carter, but not because he's gay
Party's over for Labour's Hooray Henrys
Whinegate unlikely to sozzle the PM
English sprinkles the fairy dust
'Naughty' toilet traps terrified toddler
Million-dollar view, shame about the house
Trap for burglars catches policeman
Brothel scares and stresses neighbourhood
Parents don't want son's killer in town
Guptill blasts Black Caps to victory in first T20
Degrassi star died five years ago
Banking on return of blue magic
'Naughty' toilet traps terrified toddler
Bid to scrap race relations office
High cost of living mars return to NZ
Cathedral repair bill intimidating
Fear of dangerous rift from wealth gap
Hurricanes steal Sonny Bill's thunder
Colin, explain something to me, please. I know your lesser colleagues will stuggle with this, but if the current law allows boy racer cars to be confiscated by the Court and disposed of, then what exactly will this law do? If judges are reluctant to confiscate and order the disposal of cars now, what makes anyone think they will be more likely to confiscate and order them to be 'crushed' them in future? It seems only 2 percent befall such a fate. So, the 'crushing' element is a legislative PR stunt? Won't make any actual difference to 'law and order' on the streets, but might make the Minister look like she is doing something, which is better than doing absolutely nothing I guess. And in two years time, we will be back here again, right?