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Racer Enforcement Bills

The Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill & the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill

The Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill
The Bill proposes:

Confiscating and destroying cars of serious repeat offenders

If you have been convicted for an illegal street racing offence 3 times within 4 years the court can confiscate and destroy the car used to commit the offence. This proposed new law is a last resort to deter and punish serious offenders.

• This law applies to on-street racing, drifting, unnecessary acceleration or speed.
• If the car belongs to someone else it can still be confiscated and destroyed if the owner has been warned about the offending and the offender continues to break the law in that car.
• But the court will not be able to do this if it will cause “extreme hardship” to the offender or “undue hardship” to a third party.

• First they will get a written warning. If they still do not pay, their car may be seized. It will be sold if the fines are still not paid in 14 days.
• The money from the car’s sale will pay the fines, and the costs of the confiscation, towing, storage and sale. The left over money will be given back to the owner.

• Giving authorities power to restrict vehicles from cruising or racing by putting in conditions, for example saying when and where it takes place, or ban it altogether.
• Giving the Police power to stick warning notices on cars that breach the bylaws and impose a fine up to $10,000 if the notice is removed. A second breach within 90 days will lead to impounding the car.
• Decreasing fines from $400 to $100 and increasing demerit points from 25 to 35 points (if you get a total of 100 or more demerit points in 2 years you will be suspended from driving for 3 months).

• Failing to stop when asked to can be taken into account as an aggravating factor when facing sentencing in court.
• Police may order a car to undergo a noise test if they believe that the exhaust is over the noise limit.
• Double the maximum fine from $10,000 to $20,000 for car owners who do not provide Police with details of the driver and passengers in the offending car.
• Drivers who fail to stop for Police the second time they are caught (or first time with speeding or dangerous driving) will lose their licence for 3 months. On the third time, it’s for a year, plus jail for up to 3 months.

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