Two hundred infringement notices were issued by police following a crackdown on a gathering of illegal street racers in Waikato District last week.
Photo:
Police deployed additional staff from outside the region after hearing of plans for a significant event involving hundreds street racers on Friday and Saturday nights.
Road policing manager Jeff Penno said police took a zero-tolerance approach, focusing not only on dangerous and illegal driving, but also compliance with driver licence conditions and vehicle safety standards.
Nine vehicles were impounded for sustained loss of traction and numerous cars were ordered off the road with significant faults.
"As always, the vast majority are vehicle enthusiasts and don't cause any real concerns or break the law, but these gatherings seem to encourage factions within these groups who undertake reckless and illegal acts that put other road users and themselves at risk and cause significant damage to roading infrastructure," Penno said.
Four people were charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.
More than 70 vehicles have been impounded by Waikato Police is the past 12 months as a result of information provided from the public or CCTV footage supplied.
"Unfortunately, the public don't always see us doing this work, but we invest heavily in holding drivers to account when the evidence is available.''
He said further operations were planned and they were aware of the public's concern around this type of activity on their streets.
Penno said police continued to deploy a range of tactics to tackle the issue.