Hon Chris Bishop
Minister of Transport
Hon Mark Mitchell
Minister of Police

The Government is turning up the heat on boy racers and fleeing drivers with a suite of stronger measures to deter anti-social and intimidating driving, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say.

“At present, the penalties for anti-social or intimidating driving behaviour aren’t strong enough to deter this appalling behaviour. Police reporting shows that some types of anti-social road events are actually increasing in frequency. We’re saying enough is enough,” Mr Bishop says.

“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.

The new offences and penalties will include:

• Establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction or forfeiture for those that flee Police, street racers, intimidating convoys and owners who fail to identify offending drivers
• Giving Police more powers to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing roads or public areas and issuing infringements
• Increasing the infringement fee for making excessive noise from or within a vehicle from $50 to $300

“These changes, to be introduced in new legislation in mid-2025, will mean convicted fleeing drivers, boy racers, and people participating in intimidating convoys have their vehicle destroyed or forfeited,” Mr Bishop says.

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“The legislation will establish a presumptive court-ordered sentence of vehicle forfeiture or destruction. This means that, if someone is convicted of these offences, courts must order that vehicle be destroyed or forfeited to the Crown to be sold.

“There will be some limited exceptions where the vehicle is owned by someone other than the offender, or if it would be manifestly unjust or cause extreme or undue hardship to do so.”

Minister Mitchell says the bill will give Police new powers to manage intimidating convoys and illegal dirt bike gatherings, through the ability to close roads and compelling people to leave or face fines.

The bill will also introduce stronger fines for intentionally creating excessive noise from within or on a vehicle. This will take the Police-issued fine from $50 to $300, and the court ordered fine from $1000 to $3000.

“People have had enough of boy racers and their dangerous, obnoxious behaviour. These people drive without regard for the danger and disruption it causes to our communities. They have no consideration for anyone other than themselves.” Minister Mitchell says.

“Anti-social road use and illegal street racing have no place in New Zealand. Our message is clear: if you want drive dangerously, face the consequences”.

Anti-social road users are those who fail to stop for Police while speeding or driving dangerously, participate in unauthorised street racing, do burnouts, carry out intimidating convoys and unlawful dirt bike gatherings, or cause excessive noise by taking part in siren battles.

Notes

• Anti-social road users are those who fail to stop for Police while speeding or driving dangerously, participate in unauthorised street racing, do burnouts, carry out intimidating convoys and unlawful dirt bike gatherings, or cause excessive noise by taking part in siren battles.
• The Government will expand the existing offence for a vehicle owner not immediately providing information about a driver who used that vehicle to flee Police to now:

o apply to those participating in street racing, loss of traction (burnouts), and intimidating convoys,

o ensure courts order the vehicle destroyed or forfeited unless it would be manifestly unjust, or cause extreme hardship to the offender or undue hardship to any other person, and

o allow courts to issue a fine not exceeding $10,000

• Additional powers for Police to manage illegal vehicle gatherings are to:

o expand the existing road closure power to include all public and private areas accessible to the public by vehicle (e.g. parks and car parks),

o establish an offence for a person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a direction to leave or not enter a closed area, and

o establish an associated penalty of a $1,000 infringement fee and a maximum $3,000 court fine.

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