A former Minister for Transport Safety has backed a call to limit police chases to extreme emergencies.
Harry Duynhoven, who was Minister for Transport Safety under the Helen Clark government and is now mayor of New Plymouth, says:
“A simple change of legislation would strongly discourage many dangerous high speed chases.”
Duynhoven believes that the police should have the power to permanently seize any privately owned vehicle used to flee from the police, provided that it isn’t stolen.
“Even if the car is an old bomb, its loss will probably be felt keenly by its owner, and the loss of this car will mean there’s one less death-trap vehicle on the road.
“Despite what the Police Association says, the police have dozens of ways of catching offenders that don’t involve high speed chases. For example, most people have an address and most people will return to that address at some point. The police can still make their arrests, but they can make their arrests in a way that is less likely to end in tragedy.
“Police chases should be restricted to serious emergencies, such as when someone has been kidnapped or a murder is in progress. Chasing cars full of teenagers for traffic offences puts everyone’s lives at unnecessary risk, including the lives of the police and the public.
"Most teenagers who flee the police aren’t hardened criminals who choose to break the law. They’re mostly teenagers with a head full of adrenaline who have made a really stupid decision.
“The prospect of losing their cars will surely make at least some of them pause before they flee.
“Police chases for minor offences are banned in Queensland and Tasmania. There’s no evidence that the criminals have taken over as a result. In fact, many police in those places now favour the ban, because it means fewer dead or injured police officers and less risk to the public.”
