Clampdown keeps street racers off the road

By Veronica Apap
Updated November 5 2012 - 8:59pm, first published June 16 2009 - 11:13am
Police officers watch the clamping of a vehicle which was used in street racing and is now on the owner's lawn for the next three months. Picture: KEN ROBERTSON
Police officers watch the clamping of a vehicle which was used in street racing and is now on the owner's lawn for the next three months. Picture: KEN ROBERTSON

A Fairy Meadow man received a new piece of garden furniture yesterday in the form of his newly clamped Nissan Skyline GTS.The man and a Unanderra P-plate driver were both charged with street racing on Monday night after their Nissan Skylines were pulled over on Flinders St, Wollongong, about 9.15pm.As part of a new trial, police had the vehicle towed to its owner's home and clamped the tyres instead of impounding the vehicle.The young man's car arrived home about 12.30pm yesterday and three police officers looked on as the tow-truck driver unceremoniously locked one rear wheel.The clamp will remain in place for three months and the man, who was charged with racing the sports car, will receive a bill for the towing.Meantime, police will hang on to the car keys and can make regular inspections of the car to ensure the wheel clamp has not been tampered with.Any attempt to tamper with the wheel clamp would attract a $2200 fine per offence. The owner of a clamped car can apply to either Wollongong Local Court or their police local area command to have the clamp released early if they can show special circumstances.The wheel-clamping trial began in January under the State Government's anti-hoon legislation.Both drivers were granted bail and are due to appear back in court next month.

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