Parliament has enacted legislation making vehicle crushing or seizure the default court sentence for street racing, fleeing police and participating in intimidating convoys.

The Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill completed its third reading on 30 June 2026, almost a year after its introduction in July 2025.

What the law does

The legislation makes vehicle forfeiture or destruction a presumptive sentence, requiring courts in most circumstances to order the seizure and sale or destruction of vehicles used in street races, police pursuits or convoys. The law also establishes a criminal offence for participating in frightening or intimidating convoys.

Police receive authority to close roads and other public spaces to manage gatherings, while the legislation provides additional enforcement powers for illegal street races, burnouts, disorderly dirt bike gatherings and siren battles. Penalties increase across the covered offences, with siren battles now incurring a $300 fine.

An amendment adopted during the Committee of the Whole House stage carries over existing provisions preventing the sale of seized vehicles.

Government defence of the measures

Associate Transport Minister James Meager spoke in favour of the bill on behalf of Transport Minister Chris Bishop, framing the law as restoring public safety.

"This bill is about restoring order, restoring confidence, and restoring the basic right of people to feel safe in their own streets," Meager said.

He distinguished the legislation's targets, saying "this bill does not target car enthusiasts or legal car meetings. It targets illegal, antisocial behaviour".

Labour support with resource concerns

Labour's transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere backed the legislation, describing it as necessary to give police enforcement capability.

"This is an opportunity to have a bill that says that simply will not be tolerated, that it must cease, it must stop, and that we're prepared to give the police the tools to be able to do that," Utikere said.

However, Labour raised concerns about the bill's workability, particularly whether police have adequate resources.

Labour MP Duncan Webb questioned the practicality of the convoy provisions, given the requirement to prove recklessness. "I don't think there's ever going to be a situation in which this particular offence will be proven. It may well be that what the police really want is an ability to sieze these vehicles because they reasonably believe that's the case, but that will run into problems of its own," Webb said.

Green and Māori opposition

The Green Party voted against the bill. Green MP Julie-Anne Genter said the legislation was more of a marketing and PR exercise than something that would make communities safer.

Genter said existing powers were sufficient, stating that police already had the powers and many offences already existed, with current legislation already leading to a decrease in antisocial behaviour. "Police already had the powers, and many of the offences already existed, so we've seen demonstrably it is possible to take action to prevent this antisocial road use," she said.

Te Pāti Māori and independent MPs Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi also opposed the legislation.