Police crack down on beach hoons

Hoons using beaches as racetracks are endangering lives, police say.

Horowhenua police are using radar and laser guns to enforce a 30km/h speed limit on Himatangi, Foxton and Waiterere beaches.

They have impounded five "boy racer" cars and issued more than 40 infringement notices for unwarranted and unregistered vehicles in the past fortnight, a Wellington daily newspaper reported today.

After several near misses involving 4WDs and children on Hawke's Bay beaches, police are warning that anyone using beaches as racetracks will be charged.

The warnings follow the death of 18-year-old Luke Newman, who was killed a remote Northland beach on December 29 after he lost control of his motorbike while doing "fishtail" slides with the back wheel.

His death was among 22 on New Zealand roads -- which include many beaches after a law change in June -- during the holiday.

Sergeant Marty Bull, of the Foxton police, said it was disappointing that such a large number of vehicles checked had not been registered or warranted.

"Many people do not seem to realise that the pattern of behaviour over the past 20, 30 years on these beaches now has to change -- that quad bikes have to be registered."

Statistics show a jump in deaths due to vehicle crashes on beaches in the five years to 2004.

Five people were killed that year -- including three in one crash at Muriwai Beach, near Auckland, the first such deaths since 2001.

Land Transport New Zealand spokesman Andy Knackstedt said most beaches were classified as public roads, but bylaws banned driving on some beaches.

Waikanae and Peka Peka beaches are now closed to traffic, and authorities are considering closing Levin's Waitarere Beach because of recent trouble.

However, one beach ranger said she hoped some beaches would remain legal roadways.

Elaine Pinker, whose job is to monitor beach activity at Himatangi Beach, said she had seen some "hooliganism" but people generally showed common sense.

"For the first few days, there were a lot of tickets and fines but word soon got round," she told the Manawatu Evening Standard.

She said it would be "a shame" if beaches were completely closed to vehicles, as they allowed families good access to the beach, and allowed fishers to "get to the good spots".

- NZPA