Since January 2008 there have been more than 30,000 pursuits, hundreds of crashes and 79 deaths.
Police were involved in two pursuits early this morning in Auckland, one involving youths and another where a car eventually ran over road spikes before crashing into a pole. It comes as the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and police are due to release findings into a joint-review on police pursuits later today.
The first incident began at 4.12am in Onehunga after a speeding vehicle failed to stop for police.
Police pursued but abandoned their chase after 1 to 2 minutes.
The vehicle later crashed on Pah Rd. Police said no one was injured and three people were take into custody.
Charges were not clear however if any of them were charged they would be referred to Youth Aid.
The second incident at 4.20am in Takanini started after a suspected stolen vehicle failed to stop for police in Manuroa Rd.
The vehicle fled and police followed, then the vehicle was spiked, and the car hit a light post at the corner of Alfriston Rd and Great South Rd soon after.
Two people, a 21-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, were taken into custody.
Two days ago, a resident of a Sunnyvale cul-de-sac described to the Herald how he and another person narrowly escaped being run over by a driver of a stolen vehicle as their children watched in terror.
The car involved, which later crashed after a police pursuit in West Auckland, was reported to police for erratic driving four hours before a pursuit.
The vehicle, a red Mazda Demio, was identified by police as a stolen vehicle around 11.45pm.
Police attempted to pull the driver over until the person fled and a pursuit began.
The chase was abandoned, and soon after the vehicle was found crashed into a Henderson property near the intersection of Lincoln and Triangle Rds.
The driver of a stolen Mazda Demio crashed into a tree following a police pursuit down Lincoln Road, Henderson on Wednesday. Photo / SNPA/ Hayden Woodward
Resident Wasi Ali said the car was driving at speeds around 80km/h down Sunshine Blvd around 7.30pm, four hours before the chase.
He and his wife were alerted to the car on their street by the noise of a screaming car engine and burning tyres.
Fearing for the safety of the children, he went out on to the road to try stop the car.
