By Kristin Edge
Police have slammed the brakes on boy racers in the Bay of Plenty by nabbing 319 drivers over the past year - the highest number in the country.
Nationally, more 2000 cars were impounded last year for illegal street racing. Bay of Plenty, with 319, had the highest number of people arrested and charged, followed by 297 in Canterbury.
Under the law, police can impound the cars and the court can permanently confiscate a vehicle if it is used to commit a second offence.
A series of accidents this year involving teenagers around New Zealand has thrown the spotlight on inexperienced drivers with high-performance cars.
According to police national headquarters figures, a total of 2270 people were charged under the Land Transport (Street and Drag Racing) Amendment Act in the year to June.
In the Western Bay, 141 cars were impounded by police after boy racers were caught doing wheelies or drag racing.
Sustained loss of traction resulted in 104 of those drivers having their cars impounded, while 37 other drivers with a heavy right foot were sprung for illegal drag racing and also lost their wheels.
In Rotorua, the number of charges was almost half, with only 70 drivers facing court action under the new law.
In the Eastern Bay, 26 cars were impounded and in Taupo, 67 drivers felt the long arm of the law close around their steering wheels.
The region's top traffic officer, Inspector Kevin Taylor, has vowed to keep taking a tough line on boy racers who break the law in the Bay of Plenty.
"There will be no let-up on this type of behaviour. If they want to engage in this way of driving, the Bay of Plenty is not the place to do so. We will take cars and we won't be apologising for doing it."
He said the high statistics would come as no surprise to residents in Mount Maunganui who frequently contacted police after seeing hordes of noisy cars congregating on Marine Parade.
But car enthusiasts say they are taking note of the new laws and only want somewhere to gather legally.
A 19-year-old Tauranga driver caught drag racing on Takitimu Drive in February this year said he had learnt his lesson.
"I broke the law and there are consequences for that," said the teenager, who is still unable to get behind the wheel.
He was clocked by an officer in an unmarked car doing 160kmh, racing a mate.
A court appearance stripped him of his licence for eight months and emptied his wallet of nearly $1000 in fines.
"I'm think when I get my licence back I will be thinking more about what I am doing compared to a year ago and I know other guys who are being careful."
Monique Gray, of car club Simply Sideways, suggested the reason for the high number of car seizures in the Bay was police targeting boy racers and there was a lack of events for car enthusiasts.
The club had organised burnout events at Baypark over the last year, giving car owners the chance to rev it up legally and safely - but they were few and far between.
Ms Gray said the Mount was considered a "hot spot" for trouble all year round and young people and their cars were targeted by police.
Instead, police should work with young people on driver training, Ms Gray said.
Police had been invited to attend the club's events to see it was okay to have fun in a controlled safe and legal environment.
"We have worked hard to get where we are today and our whole aim is to get people off the streets and into organised legal events," she said.
The club had previously talked through issues with police in a bid to put plans in place but a change in police staff had stifled those.
However, Laurence Cockrell, of Untamed, said he was pushing to meet Tauranga police in the next few weeks to talk about finding a place for boy racers to gather and "do their thing".
He is meeting the Tauranga Mayor next Thursday to talk about youth issues and boy racers.
"People have a place to drink alcohol. People have a place to play sport. Why not build a simple drag strip, somewhere we can be left alone," Mr Cockrell said.
The law, introduced in 2003, allows officers to lay charges punishable by prison rather than a charge of careless driving, punishable by fine only.
A public meeting to discuss ways to quieten boy racers will be held at Mount Maunganui this month.
TOP STORY: Bay boy racer arrests highest in NZ
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