Latest News
11 Sep, 09
Combating Illegal Street Racing
Introduced to Parliament in May 2009, the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill and the Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill are the Government's responses to the ongoing problems of illegal street-racing around the country. The Bills are designed to work in unison and will enhance the powers of police and road controlling authorities to tackle this problem.
The new laws are targeted at only a small portion of the community. For everyday responsible drivers, nothing will change.
The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill will:
- allow local authorities to create bylaws that prevent vehicles cruising city streets
- allow the compulsory impoundment of vehicles involved in illegal street racing, and
- contain tougher penalties for noise offences, failure to give driver details, licence breaches and registration plate offences.
The Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill will:
- allow vehicles to be seized and destroyed as a last-resort option to punish and deter the most serious repeat offenders of illegal street racing
- allow vehicles repeatedly used by people with overdue traffic fines to be sold to pay those fines
- allow vehicles to be confiscated that are owned by third parties who allow an offender to use his or her vehicle, having been warned by the police and clarify legislation so vehicles can be confiscated by the Courts from an impoundment yard.
