Boy racers ‘lack the brain development’ to grasp their car could be crushed

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Waikato politicians have welcomed law changes aimed at cracking down on boy racers - but one leading road safety campaigner has cautioned the reforms may not work for one simple reason: Stupidity.

“The highest risk offenders are too stupid to understand the risks they’re taking,” said road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson.

“Statistically, the chances are really high that they’ll keep offending.”

The Waikato Times spoke to Matthew-Wilson, Hamilton Deputy Mayor Angela O’Leary and Waikato district’s Newcastle-Ngāruawāhia councillor Janet Gibb in the wake of an announcement in Rotorua on Sunday from Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport Minister Chris Bishop, where Bishop said “These idiots have had the run of our streets for too long”.

Mitchell said communities had been subjected to “obnoxious behaviour, often dangerous”.

“And we’re over it.”

The new offences and penalties will include establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction or forfeiture for those that flee police, street racers, intimidating convoys and owners who fail to identify offending drivers.

They will also give police more powers to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing roads or public areas and issuing infringements, and increasing the infringement fee for making excessive noise from or within a vehicle from $50 to $300.

“These changes, to be introduced in new legislation in mid-2025, will mean convicted fleeing drivers, boy racers, and people participating in intimidating convoys have their vehicle destroyed or forfeited,” Bishop said.

“The legislation will establish a presumptive court-ordered sentence of vehicle forfeiture or destruction. This means that, if someone is convicted of these offences, courts must order that vehicle be destroyed or forfeited to the Crown to be sold.”

O’Leary said she welcomed the “long overdue” clampdown.

“Any bad behaviour situations, penalties tend to help. I am fully supportive,” she said.

She said they were seeing an increase in illegal street racing, and “we see these vehicles used as a weapon”.

“We are seeing an increase in that, and that’s disturbing.”

Waikato District councillor Janet Gibb also welcomed what she said would be “more teeth” for police, and said they recently implemented new bylaws aimed at cracking down on the issue.

She did say, however, that she wanted any additional police powers to be accompanied by “a fair process”.

“We do need to tighten up,” she said,

“I welcome them [the new laws] but only if there’s a fair process.”

Matthew-Wilson was less enthused about the new laws however.

“Yes, the young men with jobs and nice cars will think twice before they go out street racing on Friday night, because they don’t want to lose their vehicles,” he said.

“They know the police mean business. But the highest risk offenders are too stupid to understand the risks they’re taking. Statistically, the chances are really high that they’ll keep offending.”

He also cited police themselves, in the form of a New Zealand Police Association article on fleeing drivers and police pursuits.

“Research literature on the deterrent effects of punishment suggested that increasing the severity of penalties… [has] little effect on offending.”

He also warned against underestimating the ability of boy racers “to adapt”.

“For example, they may simply move off the streets onto private land, where they may go really crazy,” he said.

'All young men tend to overestimate their own ability and underestimate the risks. They’re attracted to danger as a way of proving themselves and they lack the brain development to understand the risks they’re taking.“

“The worst young offenders also totally believe they can outsmart the cops.'

He also cited the recent case of 15-year-old Reihana Horohau Maitu Powell Hawea, who died in the wake of a police chase.

“How could a simple law change have prevented this tragedy? How would heavier enforcement have prevented this tragedy? The answer, of course, is that neither of these strategies would have made the slightest difference, and that’s so sad.'

He said the new laws were “political theatre, designed to send a clear message to voters that the government is tough on crime”.

Matthew-Wilson, who also edits car review website dogandlemom.com, also said previous legislative attempts at forcing boy racers off the road had been “a dismal failure”.

He said the 2009 Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill - which earned Judith Collins - former Police Minister, now Defence Minister - the nickname ‘Crusher Collins’ only ever resulted in three cars being crushed.

“And one of these vehicles wasn’t actually the car driven by the offender.”

“The research is quite clear: the threat of fines and disqualification do not reduce the risk of offending by the groups most likely to cause fatal crashes. Nor does the threat of losing their cars make much difference,” he said.

“Aside from the fact that these drivers are generally poorly educated, they’re also young, and the part of the brain that understands cause and effect doesn’t fully develop until early adulthood. That’s why young males often do silly things without thinking of the consequences.”