- Police are criticising a young driver for posting videos of himself speeding at more than 200km/h on Auckland motorways.
- Inspector Juliet Burgess called the driving ‘appalling’ and said high speeds posed a danger to himself and other motorists.
- Police are urging the public to report such driving and are asking the public for information about the driver involved.
Police have slammed a young man’s “appalling driving” after he posted videos online of himself going more than 230km/h, weaving through traffic on Auckland’s motorways.
The first video, on the Northwestern Motorway between the Great North Rd and Rosebank Rd ramps, shows the driver hurtling down the right lane, undertaking a car, squeezing metres past a truck, weaving into gaps.
The video was filmed from over his shoulder, showing the road out the windscreen, the dashboard and his Volkswagen’s steering wheel. He was not seen indicating once.
He begins driving at 160km/h, increasing to 200km/h as he crosses the causeway towards TeAtatū. He covered the 3km stretch of highway in one minute.
Another video shows the car speeding at 230km/h on a stretch of the Northwestern Motorway from Westgate towards Lincoln Rd at night.
Inspector Juliet Burgess, road policing manager for Auckland, said the video “is incredibly concerning viewing”.
“It shows a driver who is oblivious to the danger he is putting law-abiding motorists in through this appalling driving.
“The term ‘speed kills’ is for good reason. At this speed, there is no margin for error,” she said.
She said it was fortunate police had not had to tell a family their loved one had died or been hurt because of the man’s joyrides.
Police were unsure when the video was filmed, and so were unable to confirm whether other motorists had reported the driver speeding.
“If people do have information about the vehicle or people involved we would ask they contact Police,” she said.
Police have slammed this boy's driving as 'appalling' and are asking for the public's help finding him.
“We would be interested in speaking with the driver about the consequences of this behaviour.
“In general, we continue to ask the public to notify us of these incidents via 111 or *555 so we can locate and hold the drivers accountable.”
The Herald has approached the person who posted the video for comment.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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