Dirt bike, scooter and quad riders at the intersection of Auckland's Penrose Rd and Mt Wellington Highway on Tuesday.
Video / Supplied
A horde of illegal dirt bikers, lambasted as selfish and having little regard for safety, set upon a police car and attacked an innocent motorist during an Anzac Day joyride.
The problem wasn’t new, police Inspector Rakana Cook said, but they couldn’t solve it alone.
Cook, the relieving area commander for Counties Manukau East, called on the parents and family of the dirt bikers to take responsibility.
He said police have tried to hold these riders to account, “but the message does not seem to be getting through”.
Police were investigating reports about the hundreds of bikers who disrupted traffic and intimidated motorists in Mt Wellington, Otara, and in east Auckland’s Pakuranga yesterday.
Cook said the bikies’ behaviour “could only be described as extremely selfish and with little regard for the safety of themselves or anyone else”.
A group of riders started kicking a parked police car which was responding to callouts to the “unacceptable” behaviour, as officers inside watched them and took notes to follow up on, Cook said.
“The patrol car was not damaged but this type of behaviour was unacceptable,” he said.
“Police have been carrying out enforcement work to target this behaviour but it is complex and not something which police can solve alone.
“This is ... challenging ... to deal with at the time due to safety for other road users and the riders themselves,” Cook said.
A gang of dirt bike riders filmed riding in Pakurangaon Anzac Day, some not wearing helmets and others doing 'wheelies'. Photo / Supplied
He said it was incredibly frustrating for police when motorcyclists had “absolutely no regard for the safety of others” and their behaviour was putting lives at risk.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the joyride highlighted “increasing lawlessness”, which he blamed on what he called “catch and release” policies and “the hug and cup of milo philosophy our laws have turned into”.
Peters called the group “ferals” and said New Zealand was turning into the Wild West.
Cook said it was extremely concerning an innocent motorist was caught up in the mayhem. Yesterday, police said the bikers swarmed a car, leaving the woman inside shaken and upset.
Young woman alone in car ‘freaked out’ by bikies
A man who saw the event unfold told Stuff the bikers targeted the car and attempted to slash its tyres and used their helmets to smash the windows of the car.
A police spokeswoman said they were called to the scene near Sylvia Park about 3.25pm Tuesday after reports of an incident involving a large group of dirt bikers and another vehicle.
The operation resulted in 59 dirt bikes and 39 vehicles being impounded. Photo / Supplied
The group left the vehicle badly damaged, and the driver was uninjured but “very shaken”.
Another witness, who didn’t want to be named, told the Herald her car was “surrounded by a whole lot of men on bikes that really couldn’t care less about anyone else on the road”.
“The light turned green and there was no way I was going to drive through it as they were blocking the way,” she said.
“I was a single young woman in my car alone, and I was freaked out.”
Large groups of people on dirt bikes have been causing issues across Auckland. Photo / NZ Police
A worker at the Mount Wellington Caltex told the Herald that scooters, quad bikes, dirt bikes and other types of motorbikes were weaving in and out between cars, scaring motorists in dense traffic.
A witness in Pakuranga said the bikes caused drivers to slam on their brakes and were cutting people off as they went through red lights.
Earlier this month, police made a desperate plea for information after more than 100 off-road dirt bikers drove recklessly through the East Auckland suburb of Botany Downs.
It followed a resident’s filming of an incident in a South Auckland suburb where more than 100 riders were doing wheelies and some swerved into the opposite lane.
Death or injuries ‘the last thing we want’ - police
Cook said police “regularly do follow up action” to hold dirt bike riders to account and give them traffic tickets or “seek further enforcement action”.
“But the message does not seem to be getting through to them that this type of riding behaviour is dangerous,” he said.
It was illegal to ride a dirt bike on the road unless it is roadworthy with a warrant of fitness and registration.
Riders also need a motorcycle licence for a bike with an engine capacity above 50cc.
More footage has emerged of the dirt bike riders who rode through parts of Auckland over the weekend. Image / Supplied
“Police ... want to see parents and family members take responsibility for the actions of these riders, some of whom are youths, and ensure they are acting safely, wearing helmets and if riding they’re within the legal parameters of using a bike on a road or any public place.
“The last thing we want is to have one of these riders seriously injured or killed or have them kill an innocent member of the public.
