Blitz on 4WD hoons

WE all know the dangers of going to the beach - jellyfish, sunburn, rips and wayward jetskis.
But another hazard facing a crackdown this summer is cars hooning over dunes and around sunbathers.
Starting January 5, the Northland Regional Council is running an education campaign targeting beach drivers, highlighting the dangers and gauging public opinion.
The move is supported by Northland surf lifesaving clubs, who regularly witness close calls involving four-wheel-drives and beachgoers.
Ruakaka patrol captain Rory Taylor said vehicles were often driven where people were swimming or sunning themselves.
However, a gate installed by the Whangarei District Council just last weekend - barring vehicles from accessing the beach near the flagged area - was working a treat.
"It's dangerous to be driving in areas where people are bathing, and since the gate has been installed it's been heaps better. People have been driving through the flagged area and we hope to have a total ban on that soon," he said. "If people do choose to drive on the beach they must be very wary and watch their speed."
But the new gate isn't popular with everyone. Ruakaka fishers are angry that they've lost vehicle access, as are some four-wheel-drive enthusiasts.
A group called Friends of the Beach put up a makeshift barricade in October, which was promptly knocked down; and the Bream Bay Coastal Care Group has staged protests against drivers damaging dunes and nests.
Regional council coastal monitoring team leader, Bruce Howse, said conflict between different groups of beach users had been building over the past few summers.
The council's campaign, focusing on known trouble spots, would include information displays and council staff patrolling the beaches. Police and the Department of Conservation are also involved.
"We'll be advising people of how to operate vehicles safely and respect the environment," Mr Howse said.
Beachgoers will also be surveyed on their views. The findings will help shape a possible new bylaw regulating vehicles on beaches, which will be presented to the Regional Land Transport Committee in February.
One sticking point is that different authorities control certain parts of the beach.
TROUBLE SPOTS
Beaches targeted this summer for dangerous drivers are:
• Ruakaka Beach, Bream Bay
• Tokerau Beach, Doubtless Bay
• Ahipara, Ninety Mile Beach
• Bayleys/Glinks Gully, Ripiro Beach
* Northlanders urged to be water safe
By MIKE DINSDALE
NORTHLANDERS are being urged to take care in the water this summer, with three people drowning around the country so far this holiday season.
With 12 drownings last year, Northland had the third-worst record in New Zealand, behind Auckland and the Waikato.
But with three days left of 2007, Northland is looking at its lowest toll for seven years with eight people drowning this year.
Water Safety NZ operations manager Matt Claridge said it was "very pleasing" to see Northland's drowning deaths slashed - but that was no cause for complacency.
"We've already had three deaths these holidays and, as they have shown, drownings can happen anywhere around water at any time," Mr Claridge said.
"People should remember that no body of water is totally safe. There needs to be ongoing awareness and understanding of water safety and the preparations and precautions to take to have fun in the water."
In 2006 New Zealand's drowning toll was 91, the lowest since records began 26 years ago. So far this year it stands at 102.
Mr Claridge said Northland, with 1700km of coastline, was an ideal playground for those wanting to go in and on the water, but it was also dangerous.
"Holiday time, increased leisure time and hotter weather means more people heading to the water to cool down and have fun and it means people have to take more care," he said.
Parents should always be aware of where their children are near water. People at patrolled beaches should swim between the flags and listen to instructions from the lifeguards.
Those going to rivers, streams and water holes should always check for hidden obstacles and check water depth, he said. On a per capita basis the national drowning toll in 2006 equated to 2.1 drownings per 100,000 people, but in Northland it was eight per 100,000.
Drowning is New Zealand's third-highest cause of accidental death, after road deaths and accidental falls.