We live at the beginning of a dead end road. It’s always been relatively quiet, but lately a boy racer has been driving me (and other neighbors) crazy.
I’m not sure if he recently passed his test, or if he just moved down the cul-de-sac, but he drives at high speed in an older car with one of those really ‘hurtful’ exhausts, possibly because that’s his name is. altered.
As a result, he zooms past the house, waking us up at all hours, and recently nearly mowed me and my young children down as we left our front door to walk to school. I tried to lend him a listening ear, but he just drove away with a wheelspin and a grin.
I left a note on the windshield of his car saying there are young families and pets on the road, and please be more considerate, but it doesn’t make an iota of difference.
What can I do now? I think all it would take is for the police to see him driving down our road at an insane speed to stop him, but I can’t imagine that happening…
Reckless: A This is Money reader lets a boy racer zoom down his street (stock image)
Jane Denton of This is Money responds: It is depressing that the tide of anti-social and criminal behavior on our streets seems to be increasing. Where are the severe penalties and punishments needed?
This boy racer endangers your family and others in your street and causes a nuisance. Speeding is a criminal offense and can lead to penalty points or a disqualification and a fine, in addition to any legal costs.
It’s unfortunate, but not surprising, that leaving a note on the windshield of his car didn’t solve the problem.
You told me the killer lives fifteen doors away. If he lives with relatives, you and one or two other affected people in your street can go to the house in question and calmly and clearly explain your grievances to them.
This will not be possible or feasible in all cases and should not be pursued if you believe your safety may be compromised.
As a starting point, write down all the times, dates and details when the incidents occur.
Keeping such a log will prove useful when you have to deal with your local council or police later, should you choose to take the matter further.
I asked two legal experts for their opinions on the issues you raised.
In the know: Sunjay Versani is director of criminal justice at Duncan Lewis
Sunjay Versani, criminal justice director at Duncan Lewis, says: Unfortunately, many communities are increasingly affected by noise and nuisance from inconsiderate drivers, often referred to as ‘boy racers’.
This behavior can cause serious disruption, especially in quiet residential areas.
However, there are steps you and your neighbors can take to address the problem, although some steps may take time and may not stop the disruptive behavior immediately.
Since you have already left a note on the car, it may also be worth calmly approaching the driver’s family and discussing your concerns if the driver and car are not present.
If this approach does not help, it is worth reporting it to the police.
Although there is a perception that the police may be too busy, they do have a duty to tackle reckless and careless driving in residential areas, which can be classified as dangerous driving or careless driving.
Collect as much evidence as possible: time-stamped video recordings of careless driving are very useful.
Sound-detecting cameras can also record vehicles and noise levels, which can lead to fines if used by police.
You can contact your local police on the non-emergency number 101 and explain the safety risks posed by the driver’s behavior.
Enlisting the support of other neighbors in raising this complaint can also increase the likelihood of action, as municipalities and police are often more responsive to community-wide concerns.
Your council’s community safety team may also have initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Municipalities sometimes work with the police to implement traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps or signage, especially if multiple residents report the same problem.
If the problem persists, ask the municipality or police about the possibility of issuing a public space protection order, which can restrict anti-social activities such as loud revving and racing.
In serious cases, an anti-social behavior order may be used to restrict disruptive activities.
Repeated disruptions, such as excessive noise and reckless driving, may qualify.
As a last resort, you may consider filing a nuisance complaint. This requires it to be proven that the driver’s actions are detrimental to your enjoyment of ownership. This may involve legal advice and is a longer process with no immediate guarantees.
Whatever steps you choose, document all incidents thoroughly.
Extensive evidence will help the police and council understand the impact of this behavior on your community, and the more neighbors support the complaint, the greater the chance of a positive resolution.
Legal expert: Declan Storrar is a lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen
Declan Storrar, lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen, says: It is very unfortunate that you find yourself in this situation. Although frustrating and disruptive, there may be a number of options available to you.
Normally you will have to work with your municipality and the local police to find a solution.
In the first instance, you should report speeding incidents as they occur to the local police.
The more reports you register, the more information becomes available for the police to consider whether they need or want to take action.
Police are unlikely to take action if there are no complaints or evidence to the contrary.
You can normally report information or report to the police online or via the non-emergency number 101.
In some cases and with sufficient evidence, the police may decide to take direct action against the person against whom you are filing a complaint.
In addition to reporting to the police, as soon as you have sufficient evidence, you can also report the incident to your municipality and to your municipal member.
To substantiate your complaint, you can provide additional evidence such as witness statements from local residents, videos, recordings from doorbell cameras – subject to compliance with separate legislation – incident diaries and police incident numbers from the report to 101.
Your municipality is ultimately responsible for setting local speed limits and implementing traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and chicanes.
You can submit an application to your municipality for a final Traffic Decree.
This is reason for your municipality to make an assessment to determine whether traffic calming measures are feasible, necessary and within the municipality’s budget.
If the municipality believes that this is the case, a further investigation will take place and you will be informed of the results.
If your application is successful, it may be deferred until the next financial year or council budget.
It is important to note that if your municipality refuses to implement traffic calming measures, you cannot take traffic calming measures into your own hands.
Any attempt to take calming measures on public roads is considered an illegal obstruction of highways and streets. If you are found guilty, you will face a prison sentence or a fine, or both.
As an alternative to the procedure described above, you can rely on tort or private prosecution. However, you should seek legal advice on this matter.