There are two things certain in this world. There will always be cars and there will always be idiots.

That’s why this move by the Government to make it easier to seize and destroy cars won’t get rid of the boy racer problem. But it’s better than nothing and good on the Government for doing it.

At the moment, the police can only seize or destroy a boy or girl racer’s car if they offend three times. We’re talking about three offences, in particular: taking part in illegal street racing; fleeing from the police. and getting involved in an intimidating convoy.

So do either of those things three times, and the car can be taken off them.

But, once this new legislation is passed, there’ll be no second or third chances.

Which I think will help the police no end because, as the law stands at the moment, they have to have evidence that someone has offended three times before there’s any chance of taking the car off them.

Which is probably why only three cars have ever been seized and crushed under the original legislation that the former-National government brought-in back in 2009.

So it’s a problem that politicians have been trying to solve for a fair while now. And not just at central government level.

We’ve tried over the years in Christchurch. The council brought-in the “no cruising” zones. which are still here. In fact, there are more now than there used to be.

A concrete pad was built at Ruapuna Speedway too. The idea being that they could all go out there and fill their boots doing skids and burn-outs. But no one was interested. Because meeting-up somewhere like Ruapuna to let rip in a car - something organised and legal - that’s not what boy racing is all about.

It’s about stuff happening on the spur of the moment. It’s about not following the rules. It’s about taking over a piece of road and making it your own.

So that was never going to work. Just like the “no cruising” zones were never really going to work, either. Sure, it might have sorted things out a bit in the central city, but all it did was push the problem somewhere else.

Particularly into the semi-rural areas the cars head-out to every weekend.

But back to the Government’s latest crackdown. I think it’s great that it’s, at least, doing something - but we shouldn’t think for a minute that it’s going to mean goodbye to the scourge of boy racers.

Think back to just over a year ago, when an 18-year-old woman died tragically after the car she was in crashed into the side of a house in Rangiora.

They’d been at an illegal street racing event and, when the police turned-up, the driver took off and ended up crashing.

Under this new legislation, he would have had his car confiscated there and then. Maybe it would even have been crushed.

But do you think for a minute that that guy thought about the consequences of his actions before deciding to hoof it from the police?

Do you think he would’ve thought about it any more if he knew he ran the risk of losing his car? I don’t think he would have. Which is why I don’t see this law change having any major impact.

I would love it to and good on the Government for doing something. But I don’t think this will mean an end to the problems boy racers cause.

<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">There are two things certain in this world. There will always be cars and there will always be idiots.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">That’s why this move by the Government to make it easier to seize and destroy cars won’t get rid of the boy racer problem. But it’s better than nothing and good on the Government for doing it.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">At the moment, the police can only seize or destroy a boy or girl racer’s car if they offend three times. We’re talking about three offences, in particular: taking part in illegal street racing; fleeing from the police. and getting involved in an intimidating convoy.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">So do either of those things three times, and the car can be taken off them.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But, once this new legislation is passed, there’ll be no second or third chances.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Which I think will help the police no end because, as the law stands at the moment, they have to have evidence that someone has offended three times before there’s any chance of taking the car off them.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Which is probably why only three cars have ever been seized and crushed under the original legislation that the former-National government brought-in back in 2009.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; background-position: 0px 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;">So it’s a problem that politicians have been trying to solve for a fair while now. And not just at central government level.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">We’ve tried over the years in Christchurch. The council brought-in the “no cruising” zones. which are still here. In fact, there are more now than there used to be.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">A concrete pad was built at Ruapuna Speedway too. The idea being that they could all go out there and fill their boots doing skids and burn-outs. But no one was interested. Because meeting-up somewhere like Ruapuna to let rip in a car - something organised and legal - that’s not what boy racing is all about.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">It’s about stuff happening on the spur of the moment. It’s about not following the rules. It’s about taking over a piece of road and making it your own.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">So that was never going to work. Just like the “no cruising” zones were never really going to work, either. Sure, it might have sorted things out a bit in the central city, but all it did was push the problem somewhere else.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Particularly into the semi-rural areas the cars head-out to every weekend.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But back to the Government’s latest crackdown. I think it’s great that it’s, at least, doing something - but we shouldn’t think for a minute that it’s going to mean goodbye to the scourge of boy racers.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Think back to just over a year ago, when an 18-year-old woman died tragically after the car she was in crashed into the side of a house in Rangiora.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">They’d been at an illegal street racing event and, when the police turned-up, the driver took off and ended up crashing.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Under this new legislation, he would have had his car confiscated there and then. Maybe it would even have been crushed.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But do you think for a minute that that guy thought about the consequences of his actions before deciding to hoof it from the police?
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Do you think he would’ve thought about it any more if he knew he ran the risk of losing his car? I don’t think he would have. Which is why I don’t see this law change having any major impact.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 16px 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">I would love it to and good on the Government for doing something. But I don’t think this will mean an end to the problems boy racers cause.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.

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With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector.

Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays. It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking. If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio. With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector. Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

John MacDonald: There will always be cars and idiots

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1ce9b407-2f1e-4d4a-8381-b2db000b509d/transcript