Taranaki Police have arrested four people and issued 59 infringements following a weekend crackdown on dangerous anti-social driving across the region.
Authorities responded to burnouts, erratic behaviour, and vehicles driving without lights on Plantation Road and Main North Road on Friday and Saturday nights.
The operation resulted in three cars and a motorcycle being impounded.
The crackdown escalated on Friday night when a driver sped past officers on the highway near Inglewood at nearly twice the legal limit.
Police successfully spiked the vehicle, but the driver attempted to flee on foot before being tracked down on nearby farmland by a Police dog unit.
During the weekend events, offenders threw bottles at officers. One bottle smashed through the back window of a patrol car, though no police staff were injured.
Taranaki Area Commander Inspector Mark Miller said the police worked hard to deter the unlawful behaviour. He noted the Police Eagle helicopter was also deployed to the region to assist staff on the ground.
"In addition to the horrific driving that could have caused a significant crash and harm to people in the area, there were bottles being thrown by an offender," Inspector Miller said.
The four arrested individuals face charges including assault with a weapon, reckless driving, breach of bail, and drug offences. They are expected to appear in court next week.
Alongside the 59 driving infringements, officers marked six cars as unsafe and found one incorrectly registered.
Inspector Miller expressed disappointment at the behaviour and stated that everyone on the road is required to follow the same rules without exception.
"We’ve seen the effects of dangerous driving and the very sad impact it can have on the community," he said.
Police are asking anyone who witnesses illegal driving to report it immediately. Photos and video footage are particularly helpful for officers trying to identify vehicles, drivers, and known hotspots across Taranaki.
