Los Angeles protests flare up as National Guardsmen are sent in and there's uncertainty over how popular the Government's new parent boost visa will be. Video / NZ Herald, AFP
A boy racer crackdown found just eight cars without any faults - with 33% of the 161 vehicles stopped not fit to be on the road.
Police have been left surprised by the relatively large number of cars confiscated in a sting on antisocial road users in Invercargill, andthe small number that made the grade.
Southland police pulled over 161 cars in Invercargill on Friday and Saturday nights.
Southland area road policing manager Senior Sergeant Scott MacKenzie said police were not expecting the number of uncompliant vehicles.
“The number of vehicles ordered off the road really surprised us; coupled with the fact that only eight of the 54 vehicles inspected were found without any faults,” he said.
“In total, the teams stopped 161 vehicles, of which those with numerous and or serious faults came in at 33.5% - one third of all cars stopped should not have been on the road.”
Only eight cars, of 161 pulled over, had zero faults. Photo / NZ Police
Police issued 12 green stickers, meaning those vehicles had compliance issues, and 16 pink stickers, meaning those cars are unsafe. Photo / New Zealand Police
Police were supported by Vehicle Testing New Zealand (VTNZ), the police Impairment Prevention team, the Road Policing Group and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team.
Police issued 12 green stickers, meaning those vehicles had compliance issues, and 16 pink stickers, meaning those cars are unsafe.
MacKenzie said he and his staff were “all too familiar” with the devastation wrought by reckless driving and speeding.
“We’re the ones having to visit families and deliver awful news about their loved ones being involved in serious incidents resulting in injury or death,” he said.
“That’s what motivates us. We don’t want to be the people having to deliver that news. It’s absolutely tragic, and absolutely avoidable.
“Police are sending a message to anyone participating in antisocial road user behaviour – we are ready and waiting, and you can expect us to take action.”
Southland police pulled over 161 cars in Invercargill on Friday and Saturday nights. Photo / New Zealand Police
The weekend’s incident came just ahead of a report released on Monday morning which found young drivers were committing fewer traffic offences than a decade ago, but their road death statistics remained high.
The Automobile Association (AA) Research Foundation report showed that, factoring in the substantial increase in young drivers over the past 10 years, overall offending rates have fallen by 41%, drunk and drugged driving by 58% and seatbelt offences by 52%.
MacKenzie asked anyone who witnessed anti-social road behaviour to phone 111 if it was ongoing or 105 if it was after-the-fact. Anonymous information could also be offered to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers business, breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
