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Home / New Zealand

<i>Eric Thompson:</i> No happy ending for fleeing fools

Eric Thompson
By Eric Thompson
NZ Herald·
7 Dec, 2010 04:30 PM3 mins to read

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Many don't realise the futility of trying to outrun a police vehicle. Photo / Nikki Williams

Many don't realise the futility of trying to outrun a police vehicle. Photo / Nikki Williams

Eric Thompson
Opinion by Eric Thompson
Eric Thompson is a motorsport writer for NZME
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Eric Thompson writes that those who run from the police must realise that their actions have consequences.

What a great incentive to stop when the police ask you, because if you don't you might die as a result of your own stupidity.

Last weekend a number of people died, yet again, while trying to evade the police. All I can surmise, after so many self-imposed deaths while
trying to evade a ticket or whatever, is those who flee must have a kangaroo loose in their top paddock.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm pleased these numpties who try and run end up dead before they hurt anyone else.

Before anyone starts spitting tacks and banging on about the poor innocent passengers in the car that either get killed or maimed, they also need their collective heads read for getting into a stolen car.

Actions and consequences - it's not hard to understand.

I am at a loss to understand what the liberal and politically correct hand-wringers are wailing and gnashing their teeth about. Especially the woman from Candor (Campaign Against Drugs on Roads) who sounded as mad as a sack full of cut snakes when she said something along the lines that the 500 or so incidents of police chasing felons was breaking down society and a waste of police resources.

She also said it wasn't the police's main job to catch people but to make society a safer place. Go figure that one out. How are you going to protect society if you don't chase and catch the people that are threatening it?

As far as I'm concerned, Lieutenant Colonel R. J. Wiedemann summed it up perfectly when he said: "Political correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

But thank the good Lord there is still some common sense out there. I heard a broadcaster on the radio interviewing Justice Minister Judith Collins about the weekend's deaths. He asked Collins what her explanation was for the 18 deaths this year, implying they were the fault of the police.

Her response was "that people were fleeing the police". Excellent. Problem solved, don't flee and you won't die. Collins then went on to ask the broadcaster what the police should do: "Stand by and wave goodbye?"

As long as John Key keeps this woman in the justice seat, his party will get my vote.

Have you noticed that these police chases don't last very long? Less than a minute in some cases. Also, when the police do pull out of a chase because it's too dangerous, boy-racer still manages to wrap himself around a tree.

It just goes to show that young people really have no idea how to drive.

How stupid do you have to be to think you can outrun a highly trained driver in a purpose-prepared police car?

I swear, these boy-racers think getting a high score in an Xbox driving game qualifies them as superhero race car drivers - when in fact they'd have trouble finding the way out of a supermarket car park.

A piece of advice to anyone else thinking they can outrun a trained pursuit driver: life isn't a video game - there is no reset button where you get to have another go. If you stuff up on a real road, it'll probably kill you.

Oh, and before I forget: If boy-racer does manage to survive the accident that's just looking to happen, there should be an instant five-year driving ban for endangering innocent bystanders.

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