Latest news with #Anti-SocialRoadUseLegislationAmendmentBill
NZ Herald
30-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Officials warn Govt's boy-racer car-crushing powers threaten judicial discretion
Ministers Chris Bishop and Mark Mitchell announced new offences and penalties in Rotorua on Sunday, with Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell. Video / Kelly Makiha Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. The Government is pushing ahead with a bill designed to target boy racers, despite concerns it could compromise judicial discretion. Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Police Minister Mark Mitchell today announced that the Anti-Social Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill had been introduced to Parliament and would have its first reading next month. The bill contains new powers, announced in May, that include establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction or forfeiture for anyone participating in street racing, burnouts and intimidating convoys, as well as any vehicle owner who refused to identify offending drivers. Exceptions would be made if the offender didn't own the car, if crushing the vehicle was manifestly unjust or would cause extreme hardship. A draft Cabinet paper, released today, noted justice officials were concerned the 'very high threshold' for not applying a sentence could result in 'outcomes perceived to be unfair'.
RNZ News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Boy racer legislation introduced to Parliament
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone New legislation set to bring in harsher penalties for what the government calls "idiot" boy racers, has been introduced to Parliament. Announced in May , the Anti-Social Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill will set up new offences and penalties for people driving dangerously, including costly infringement fees and making vehicle seizure or destruction more common for street racing, burnouts and fleeing police. The bill defines "anti-social road users" as people who flee police, participate in unauthorised street racing, burnouts, intimidating convoys, disorderly dirt bike gatherings, or siren battles. The bill is expected to receive its first reading in August. In a statement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says those who want to drive dangerously will face serious consequences. "Kiwis are sick of seeing these idiot drivers putting everyone around them at risk, so we're taking action through a range of much tougher penalties," he said. The bill would also give police more powers to manage illegal gatherings by closing roads or public areas, like infringements of $1000 for those who fail to leave areas when told to by police Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the additional powers would support to continue cracking down on illegal events. "We have seen substantive responses to these illegal gatherings, including arrests, checkpoints, and other tactics to shut these events down. These gatherings are dangerous to the participants, to bystanders, and to the public," he said. "Boy racers only care about one thing - their car. Once they realise they're not getting it back, they'll think twice about fleeing police or driving dangerously," Mitchell said. "We have seen substantive responses to these illegal gatherings, including arrests, checkpoints, and other tactics to shut these events down. These gatherings are dangerous to the participants, to bystanders, and to the public." An offender will be exempt from vehicle forfeiture or destruction if they do not own the car (unless they fail to provide information about a driver to police), if it would be "manifestly" unjust, or cause extreme hardship to the offender or undue hardship to someone else. After its first reading, the bill will go through a four month Select Committee process including public consultation.
