Car Cruising Public Spaces Protection Order

We are asking residents how they have been affected and what we can do to help following a rise in the number of unauthorised car meets.

We are considering adopting a Car Cruising Public Spaces Protection Order, which would give us greater powers to tackle dangerous and anti-social behaviour, ensuring the borough is a safe place to live. Car cruising is the term for when drivers meet to race or show off their vehicles.

This would restrict the activities associated with unauthorised meets, including dangerous driving, racing, aggressive acceleration and braking, sounding horns, playing loud music, foul language and threatening behaviour.

From January 2021 to January 2022, 82 incidents were reported to the council or Thames Valley Police. The most common locations for these car meets were at the Carnival Hub car park in Wokingham town, the Mereoak Park and Ride near Three Mile Cross and supermarket car parks across the borough.

If the PSPO is created, anyone who does not comply could be fined up to £1,000, or receive a fixed penalty notice of up to £100. It can be enforced by a police officer, police community support officer, or an accredited council officer.

It would go against the order to be the driver of a motor vehicle where the following activities take place:

• Causing danger or risk of injury to road users, including pedestrians
• Causing damage or risk of damage to property
• Aggressive acceleration/braking or racing
• Carrying out including but not limited to skidding, handbrake turns and drifting
• Creating noise through excessive engine revving, sounding horns or playing music
• Using foul or and/or abusive language
• Using threatening or intimidating behaviour
• Causing obstruction, whether stationary or moving

It would be an offence to promote, organise or publicise any event where the prohibited activities take place and to attend an event where the prohibited activities take place.