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A boy racer smokes the tyres of his car at night in Palmerston North - Source: ONE News -
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Boy racers have told MPs that legislation allowing police to crush their cars will not do any good.
They have been having their say in Christchurch at the first select committee hearing on the planned new laws.
Boy racers say planned new legislation will do nothing to stop the problem.
"Anyone who's street racing knows there's a possibility of death. If death's not going to stop them, increasing fines isn't," says Ruth Anderson, a girl racer.
The changes would give authorities more power to seize and even crush boy racer cars, lower noise levels and in some circumstances just stop them cruising.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker says the boy racer problem has cost the city hugely.
He says some dreadful tragedies have occurred because of the racer's behaviour.
Parker was not holding back, but Anderson says boy racers are misunderstood.
"It may sound silly to some people but to me my car's got a soul. I love my car, I talk to my car, I make sure it's feeling happy, I give it nice fuel," says Anderson.
The push for tougher controls comes after several major incidents this year.
In Christchurch, a lone policeman was shot at at a congregation of over 300 boy racers.
And a security officer had her windows smashed in. But boy racers say these laws don't hit to the heart of the issue.
"This is a criminal response to a social issue and it's misguided," says Stuart Macintosh, a boy racer.
Anthony Rohan, another boy racer, says the danger is that more restrictions will not solve the issue and just have the effect of shifting boy racers to other sites.
Whether all the talk can stop boy racers' burnouts will be seen in September when the select committee presents the final look for the new law to government.
