Driving and traffic law
Street-racing and cruising
Street-racing and wheel-spinning
Penalties for street-racing and wheel-spinning
Land Transport Act 1998, ss 22A, 35-36A
It’s a criminal offence:
- to race your car on a road, or put on an unnecessary display of speed or acceleration, unless you’re driving within the speed limit and not breaking any other road rules, or
- to make your car do a wheel-spin (“a sustained loss of traction”) without a reasonable excuse.
If you’re convicted, you can be imprisoned for up to three months or fined up to $4,500. You’ll also be automatically disqualified for at least six months.
If someone is injured or killed, the penalties are much heavier. You can be imprisoned for up to five years if someone is injured, or up to 10 years if someone is killed, or in either case you can be fined up to $20,000. You’ll also be automatically disqualified for at least one year.
Pouring oil or fuel onto the road for wheel-spins
Land Transport Act 1998, ss 22A(2), 36A(1)(b), (5)
It’s a criminal offence to pour petrol, oil or diesel onto the road, or anything similar that’s likely to cause tyres to lose their grip on the road, if you don’t have a reasonable excuse.
If you’re convicted, you can be fined up to $3,000.
