$17m traffic fines owed in Tauranga

Tauranga people owe $17m in traffic fines of which just under half is in default.
That means, they are either not paying at all or are tardy in making their payments.
Ministry of Justice Collections Unit figures sought by the Bay of Plenty Times also revealed that 221 vehicles were seized by the courts for unpaid fines across the Bay between July 1 and April 30 this year.
Total overdue traffic fines in Tauranga as at April 30 stood at $8.19m of which $6.28m were for certification failure offences.
The three largest contributors to this category of offence were for warrant of fitness, driver licence, vehicle licence and registration offences.
Next highest category of traffic fines owed in Tauranga is $360,000 for road instruction offences, followed by $310,000 for speeding offences and $270,000 for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The $17m fines owed for Tauranga district represents well over one third of $41.4m total fines owed across the Bay of Plenty region as at the end of April - of which $17.9m is overdue in the region.
The Bay of Plenty regions takes in Gisborne, Rotorua, Tauranga, Waihi, Wairoa, Whakatane and Opotiki.
Waihi fine defaulters owe $1.16m of which $880,000 is  for certification failures.
Nationally $636.6m traffic fines are owed, with $359.9m being in default, of which almost $250m is owed for certification failure offences.
As at the financial year ended June 30, 2008, $16.3m in traffic fines were owed by Tauranga people with just under half or $7.8m overdue at that date with $624.6m owed nationally and $362m overdue at that point.

Outstanding traffic fines have again come under the spotlight after the Government introduced draft legislation to Parliament on May 26 which would give the courts the power to order the crushing of street racing offenders' cars.

The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill and Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill will give police, courts and local authorities greater powers to tackle street racing.
The bill also allowed for the vehicles of people with overdue traffic fines to be seized to pay the fines and for courts and police to target street racers who use other people's vehicles.
Tauranga judges are already impounding vehicles for periods or ordering the sale of vehicles to pay for fines.
Of the 221 vehicles seized in the Bay many were returned to their owners, once payment plans had been made. Only 77 were auctioned for unpaid fines.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby has welcomed the legislation that gives courts the power to order the crushing of street racing offenders' cars.
It follows Tauranga City Council's own bylaw introduced last year that targets gatherings of boy racers.
Under the bylaw, vehicles weighing less than 3500kg are not allowed to enter 62 of the city's industrial streets, without valid reason between 9pm and 5am. If caught drivers face a $750 fine.
Police Minister Judith Collins says people who have three street racing related offences within four years could see their cars crushed.
The crushing measure will work on a "three strikes and you're crushed basis", with boy racers needing to commit three illegal street racing offences - either racing or "sustained loss of traction" - in a four-year period.
Offenders and the owners of the cars would receive two written warnings before the cars were destroyed. The government aims to pass the new measures by December 1.
Recent budget funding over the next four years includes $16.3 million to improve fines collection.

Head of Western Bay road policing Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said while he was "somewhat surprised" by the total amount of fines outstanding in this district, both police and the fines recovery section worked closely to target people in default with their fines.
Mr Campion said there would always  be a percentage within the community who were not compliant with traffic laws compared with the large majority of people up to scratch with their vehicle registration and safety requirements.  For some people it would be difficult to change that. 
But, Mr Campion said, clearly the power to seize people's vehicles sent a clear message that made people take responsibility for their fines.