[seattle]

Did anyone see the German documentary on Chch boy racers? We've only been here a week and these noisy drivers are one of the first things we noticed. We are currently househunting and have been warned to choose our location carefully to avoid the noise/nuisance from their late night activities. Do these guys stick to the major streets or do they race on side streets as well?

[buzztalks]

they are like a bad smell. They are everywhere, and they won't go away

[BkyMonster]

I can say side streets as well. Just had construction finished on the street we live on ( a dead end with one end attached to a park) and the racers were there for nights afterward making sure the new... err gravel paving was torn up.

Look for streets that narrow and widen or otherwise constrict traffic flow, or better yet the ends of dead ends and cul-de-sacs.

That said, they annoy me a bit, but don't bother me that much. I guess it would be worse if we weren't on a partial dead end.

[peebles16]

CHC City Council and the police are really coming down hard on the hoons at the minute :yes SO it should get better but unfortunately just 'drives' the hoons out of the city and into North Canterbury to annoy the heck out of us :(

Karenx

[Moorf]

This has always been, and continues to be, my biggest bugbear with NZ life. They are everywhere - and don't think moving to the country will help - they populate rural intersections, too, often pouring diesel on the road, and then proceeding to skid around, burning rubber, until either a) a cop comes along (unlikely in most remote places) or b) their tyres blow out... While it doesn't happen as much out here in rural Canterbury, it happens ENOUGH.. grrrr

I'd say no area was exempt, tbh.

[IanW99]

This has always been, and continues to be, my biggest bugbear with NZ life. They are everywhere
...
I'd say no area was exempt, tbh.

Well, would have to say we haven't seen any actually in the act, so don't seem too big a problem in some areas. Have seen quite a few tyre marks around though so can only guess that we've always been lucky. It may also have something to do with the amount of police in the area :)

Ian

[seattle]

hmm, something to consider when we buy a house. Probably another good reason to have the dual paned windows so you don't hear it as much. We are in a temporary flat right now near downtown so we hear them a lot- especially on weekends...

[Sam B]

Well I live right out in the sticks now, and the house down the drive has 2 teenage sons who spend all their spare time doing burnouts on the road. There is no escape.

[JandM]

I don't think this is only a New Zealand situation. We live in a small country town in Dorset, UK. The town centre has a one-way system. At night, it is a show-off-your-wheels-lads zone - it's like you see of the USA in movies about the 50s and 60s. If you want to go to the bank machine or to get a take-away, you really need to watch your back.

[buzztalks]

I don't think this is only a New Zealand situation.

difference is in NZ you have children driving cars, plus there is an obsession with big-bore exhausts. the louder the noise they make,the better...

there is little or no policing of the situation. been here 18 months and I have never seen a collection of more unroadworthy vehicles driving around in all my life.

[BkyMonster]

Oh, this was pretty common throughout the US as well. I guess it was a bit easier to get away from there. Certainly seems more pervasive in NZ.

[seattle]

In the U.S. we have to get our cars smogged check every few years to make sure they aren't giving off too much exhaust/pollution. I don't recall seeing much of this back in the U.S. recently but I'm sure it varies by state. Although I did see a lot of cars with loud stereos- especially in L.A. Why don't they just enact tougher laws- take away their drivers' licenses, etc?

[chocolate cake]

difference is in NZ you have children driving cars, plus there is an obsession with big-bore exhausts. the louder the noise they make,the better...

there is little or no policing of the situation. been here 18 months and I have never seen a collection of more unroadworthy vehicles driving around in all my life.

Yeah I'd have to agree, the number of boy racers with souped up massive exhausts and spoliers is ridiculous, certainly a much wider problem than in the UK. No doubt insurance is a big difference too.

[veronica]

funny innit. there I am living on one of the major streets just ouside the 4 Aves in Christchurch, walking distance to the town centre and we only hear them occasionally!! personally I don't have any gripe with kids driving on their own at 15 and a half, accidents aren't caused because of the age of the driver just the inexperience, and a learner at 17 is going to have the same inexperience. although I do have strong thoughts on the insurance issue.

[willsken]

personally I don't have any gripe with kids driving on their own at 15 and a half, accidents aren't caused because of the age of the driver just the inexperience, and a learner at 17 is going to have the same inexperience. although I do have strong thoughts on the insurance issue.

100% agree:clap

[buzztalks]

personally I don't have any gripe with kids driving on their own at 15 and a half, accidents aren't caused because of the age of the driver just the inexperience, and a learner at 17 is going to have the same inexperience. although I do have strong thoughts on the insurance issue.


accidents are also caused by a lack of maturity, something which I've found to be prevalent in the majority of 15 year old drivers I've met both on and off the road.

[WANZLittles]

We Have them In the NW US we call them Ricer's though, The big exhaust is called a grape fruit launcher and the wings a shopping cart handle. HAHAHA

I get harassed alot when I am on my bike, they always want to race me, that is funny too, I don't know of a car that can keep up with a sport bike, even my 18 year old one.

[2371]

Saw the documentary on New Zealand on German’s ZDF. The feature (10min out of 90 min) on the boy(& girl) racers was quite a shock to me (racing of youngsters is everywhere a problem, but this mindless circling around inner ChCh with a powerless police seems very “un-kiwi” to me).

Seems to be a specific ChCh problem…

[ellenmelon]

Most of the boy racers in the really mod'd cars you hear are less likely to be the 15 year olds..unless their parents are bankrolling their expensive cars.

Driving day to day I find more immaturity in some middle aged women who give me death stares and some guys around my age who think they are all that. Blokes in their big Ford's or Honda's act the eejit too. Younger drivers often drive very differently when their mates are in the car with them, they get this bravado which means they do silly things.

Thankfully central Welly seems to have less boy racers in the suburbs dragging etc than in Christchurch which has to be to do with the lack of flat stretches of road. I see mod'd car's around where I live but there is little to no group activity where I lived like I experienced in Christchurch. I'd say it would be different out the hutt etc.

As usual, I find it disapointing that all boy racers are lumped into one category of being 15 year old, immature hoons. There are some, and yeah they might be in the minority, that mod their cars because they love it. It's their hobby, where their money goes and they don't do anything intentionally to annoy or harm people (heck, they don't want to ruin their cars!). There is a group that do drag etc and they are a pain for sure, I'm not going to deny that.

That's my piece anyway..

[victoria24]

im not belittling the problem as it seems a real pain for those of you affected by it but in the uk some kids rather than burning about in their xr3i's prefer recreationally jacking up H and knifing old ladies for some cash

[Ana&Steve]

The big exhaust is called a grape fruit launcher and the wings a shopping cart handle. I LOLed! Caught a funny mental image:D

[buzztalks]

Younger drivers often drive very differently when their mates are in the car with them, they get this bravado which means they do silly things.




That would explain the driving around the Basin Reserve by the Wellington College boys on the last day of term. Crazy, chaotic, horn-honking speeding with every rule in the book being broken, especially the one about seatbelts. Difficult to wear when your hanging out of the car banging on the roof....

Good clean harmless fun. She'll be right.

[Kerry and David]

I haven't been affected where I live with the boy racers but we do have a strong police presence doing patrols and they are always about doing speed checks so I guess that helps too.

[ellenmelon]

That would explain the driving around the Basin Reserve by the Wellington College boys on the last day of term. Crazy, chaotic, horn-honking speeding with every rule in the book being broken, especially the one about seatbelts. Difficult to wear when your hanging out of the car banging on the roof....

Good clean harmless fun. She'll be right.

Nowhere did I condone what they do, nor say that they don't act the eejit. It isn't clean harmless fun at all, so you don't have to be sarcastic with me. You just have to agree how they drive with their parents or when they're doing their test is going to change completely when they've got mates in their car so they're not going to have their parents on to them to drive more safely.
Did you call the police and tell them what was happening? It was obviously pretty dangerous..or were you just a silent witness.

[buzztalks]

Did you call the police and tell them what was happening? It was obviously pretty dangerous..or were you just a silent witness.

I think the police were busy getting blanket-man to pull his underpants up....

[Big Puku]

Thankfully central Welly seems to have less boy racers in the suburbs dragging etc than in Christchurch which has to be to do with the lack of flat stretches of road. I see mod'd car's around where I live but there is little to no group activity where I lived like I experienced in Christchurch. I'd say it would be different out the hutt etc.


IMO Welly Central has more hoons than the Hutt, the 'rua or Kapiti (having lived in all) - although it does seem worse in Chch for some reason (maybe because it's flatter you hear them more?)

[veronica]

Still strikes me as strange that theres all this hot air about Christchurch being Hoon central and I live on Gloucester st just outside fitzgerald Ave and rarely hear it.
Buzztalk having stated the immaturity of 15 year olds I'd like to know how many mature 17 year olds you know, you do seem a bit bulldogish about younger people/drivers and the hoon situation. I've been cut up on the roads plenty of times but mainly by middleaged people in either sports type cars or big 4x4s, can't think of one instance when I have been cut up by someone who looked to be still on a p plate. in the UK I have to say that the BMW drivers, followed closely by the white van man are by far the worst. I've no patience with bad drivers or hoons but I do get fed up with people with fixed ideas banging on about things when they aren't always right. Most of the hoons that I have come across are people in their very late teens and early 20s. and the majority are male. Most kids are on a restricted licence until they reach 17, and there is a curfew involved in those restrictions. I am not that niave that I believe that its always adhered to, the earning power of kids that age is not great and if the parents are buying them hoon type cars and allowing them to break the terms of the restricted licence it smacks more to me of immature parents, ie irresponsible middle age people. I have to say that in my 5 years of driving around central christchurch at all hours of the day and night I have not been affected by hoon driving, yep I have seen a few cars cruising about together but their driving wasn't affecting any other road users. It does happen, I am not denying that, but I would question whether the situation in central christchurch is as bad as the press/media would have us believe.

Maybe someone should start a hoon show and shine club like the VW clubs (ie run to the sun) Might make a positive out of a negative.

[benandclare]

Cant comment about Central ChCh but some of the roads I have to travel to customers in the suburbs are black with rubber from burn outs.
Yesterday I witnessed one car take off from a T junction to do a Donut and then head back to whence they'd come , Today whilst waiting to cross Brougham on Selwyn St a souped up Ute "Burnt rubber" for a good 5 yards when the lights changed.
Also today saw 4 cars, on different ocassions, stopped by police and all were early to mid twenties to my eye :exit

[veronica]

yep typical hoon age, I have seen rubber on the roads especially in the industrial area where we have the shop, and I don't dispute it goes on, I just feel the wrong age group is getting the blame and that the situation in Central Christchurch is not as bad as the press paint it. I must say though I have never seen anyone doing a donut delibrately though I have seen it done in the snow!

[winka]

I don't think this is only a New Zealand situation. We live in a small country town in Dorset, UK. The town centre has a one-way system. At night, it is a show-off-your-wheels-lads zone - it's like you see of the USA in movies about the 50s and 60s. If you want to go to the bank machine or to get a take-away, you really need to watch your back.

Yes.

While I grew up as a lad in chch I know firsthand the perils of having access to powerful cars at a young age and am lucky to be still alive.
It is also the early school leavers who are most in to the 'hoon' scene.
The ones who have a fuill time wage at 16 while the others are still students.
Universities have about 1% hoon element.

If you have sky try and find 'booze britain' or 'brit cops' on TV.
We watch it here in london on the odd occasion and the violence and crime is an eye opener.:exit

[Philip10]

Hoons are one of the worst things about NZ life, and it seems to be a problem everywhere far worse then the UK. I think there are number factors which, (1) No insurance, allows cars to be modified especially by young people without any additional insurance costs. In the UK most of the cars especially the young Hoons drive, the cost of insurance would more then the cars worth, due to all the modifications and any additional driving offences. (2) The noise levels from the exhausts would never pass a UK MOT, however I should say all blame should not be apportioned on to the young people, as they are not many good role models in NZ for safe and environmentally appropriate car usage.

[winka]

In the UK most of the cars especially the young Hoons drive, the cost of insurance would more then the cars worth

Youre correct, the ludicrous cost of vehicle insurance in the UK is something to behold.
Nothing quite like insuring a £10,000 car for £1000 a year!

[seattle]

I don't think its "clean, harmless fun" either when an article in The Press said that patients recovering from surgery at Southern Cross Hosp had to be moved from the Bealey Ave. wing on the weekend b/c of the noise from these cars. There was also an article last week about a big gathering of these people near Chch airport- and the concern that their fireworks and debris may be a hazard to the airport. Hopefully all of this media attention will prompt some changes...although it does seem like this kind of thing has been around for a long time.

[WANZLittles]

Boy Racers Banned?? (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10554860)

Good Article on Boy Racers, it seems they have gotten the attention of the Government.:nice1:bluebanana:raebanana:nice1

[Waters9944]

15 year-olds should NOT be allowed to drive. 17 year-olds are pretty immature too. And THAT is the nature of the problem, imo.

Here in the States, driving age varies by state, but in general, there is a REASON why insurance rates are HIGHER for males under 25, and most car rental companies won't rent to them.

[bobo]

Youre correct, the ludicrous cost of vehicle insurance in the UK is something to behold.
Nothing quite like insuring a £10,000 car for £1000 a year!

Of course the majority of the cost of the insurance is not really due to the cost of the car. Its due to the statistical data that states that car type, driver type are likely to be involved in an accident which will cause injury.

[bobo]

funny innit. there I am living on one of the major streets just ouside the 4 Aves in Christchurch, walking distance to the town centre and we only hear them occasionally!! personally I don't have any gripe with kids driving on their own at 15 and a half, accidents aren't caused because of the age of the driver just the inexperience, and a learner at 17 is going to have the same inexperience. although I do have strong thoughts on the insurance issue.

Have to strongly disagree, there is strong evidence that the brain matures in its ability to comprehend risk, and its not fully matured at 15 (or 17 for that matter)

http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/3/1/7

[JandL]

Youre correct, the ludicrous cost of vehicle insurance in the UK is something to behold.
Nothing quite like insuring a £10,000 car for £1000 a year!

My first car at 18 cost me £550 to buy and £800 to insure 3rd party. It was a 1.3 Ford Escort :eek:

[veronica]

what age did you start driving at Bobo, I started at 17 Pete started at 17 my kids started at 17 and my foster daughter the same, her son has been driving here since he was 15. I have felt safer with him driving than I have with some 'adults'. I didn't have a crash that was my fault til I got to 25 when I skidded into the back of someone. Pete did that when he was 19, eldest daughter was 23. My youngest one is 30 and thank goodness has never had one. ditto my foster daughter.
Most of the Hoons are not kids of that age, I suspect some of the offenders have never had a lesson in driving and a few wouldn't have taken any tests either and even more are prob without insurance. 15, 16 and 17 year olds generally dont have the cash to create a boy racer car. Its generally the older teenagers and generally male. are we going to distinguish between males and females here and let girls start at 15 and make the boys wait til they are, what do you suggest, 18, 19 or 20. funny that seems to be the age of 'hoon'. Perhaps they should wait til they are mid 20s.
A lot of it is down to responsible parenting and teaching kids acceptable behaviour, thats not something they magically learn by themselves when they get to 18 or whatever age you think they should start driving at. If they haven't had that then it takes a long time for them to learn it on their own. I still firmly believe that its the first couple of years driving while you are getting experience in driving and background thats the issue, not the age.

[Wooly_Cow]

Of course the majority of the cost of the insurance is not really due to the cost of the car. Its due to the statistical data that states that car type, driver type are likely to be involved in an accident which will cause injury.

How much car insurance is in the UK is pretty irrelevant as a large number of drivers, many of the ‘problem’ drivers aren’t insured anyway. Making insurance compulsory here will probably face the same issue.

As for exhausts, I have heard that many ‘replace’ their ‘grapefruit launchers’ with normal exhausts for the WOF….then change them back again afterwards.

I have to agree though with the argument that 15 is too young to drive. Whilst in farming communities it may be necessary for young people to drive in order to work on farms, this can be restricted to farm vehicles like tractors – lets see the hoons customize a Massey Ferguson!

[winka]

I think the police were busy getting blanket-man to pull his underpants up....

Youre a barrell of laughs! :exit

[WANZLittles]

‘grapefruit launchers’:D;)