Flee police and risk losing your ride.
That's the message the Government hopes to send by the introduction of a new bill that would allow police to seize and impound a vehicle for six months if its owner fails to stop.
The bill, the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Bill, would also allow police to seize and impound a vehicle if the registered owner failed to provide information about a fleeing driver, and where impounding the vehicle is necessary to prevent a threat to road safety.
It also increases the license disqualification period after a second conviction for failing to stop from 12 months to up to 24 months, and allow the courts to order a vehicle is forfeited on conviction for failing to stop.
Justice and Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan said the bill's introduction — and first reading today — showed the Government was cracking down on dangerous and reckless drivers who flee police and "put innocent lives at risk".
"Those who recklessly attempt to evade the law need to be held to account and we're ensuring there are increased and serious consequences for this behaviour.
"These new tools make it clear that drivers, vehicle owners or people obstructing [the] police’' work will face serious consequences."
She said the bill also removed "the protection currently afforded to the owners of the vehicle if the offender is driving someone else's car".
Police Minister Ginny Andersen said while no laws will ever be able to deter all fleeing drivers, the legislation, alongside other work about the police's decision-making on whether to pursue, sent a message to fleeing drivers that they were "now more likely to be caught and face the consequences".
A Government statement said the bill also had a "safeguard" aimed at ensuring vehicle owners who could prove their car was stolen at the time it was impounded will be able to get it back.
The statement said the bill would be read a first time in Parliament today, and will be passed before the election.
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