We live at the beginning of a dead end. It’s always been relatively quiet, but recently a running boy is driving me (and other neighbors) crazy.
I’m not sure if he passed his test recently or just moved further down the cul-de-sac, but he drives at high speeds in an older car with one of those really “throat” exhausts, possibly because it’s modified.
As a result, he zooms through the house, waking us up at all hours, and recently, he almost ran over me and my young children as we were leaving the front door to walk to school. I tried to reprimand him, but he just walked away with his wheels spinning and smiling.
I left a note on the windshield of their car saying that there are young families and pets on the road, and to please be more considerate, but it hasn’t made the slightest difference.
What can I do next? I think all it would take is for the police to see him speeding on our highway to pull him over, but I can’t imagine that happening…
Reckless: This is Money reader has a boy runner zooming up and down his street (file image)
This is Money’s Jane Denton responds: Depressingly, the tide of anti-social and criminal behavior on our streets seems to be constantly rising. Where are harsh penalties and sentences required?
This running boy is endangering his family and other people on his street and causing a nuisance. Speeding is a criminal offense and can lead to penalty points or disqualification and a fine, as well as possible court costs.
It’s unfortunate, but not surprising, that leaving a note on your car’s windshield couldn’t fix the problem.
You told me the culprit lives 15 doors away from you. If you live with your family, you could, together with one or two other affected people on your street, go to the house in question and calmly and clearly explain your complaints to them.
This will not be possible or feasible in all cases and should not be done if you believe your safety could be at risk.
As a starting point, make a note of all the times, dates and details in which incidents occur.
Keeping a record like this will be useful when dealing with your local council or the police later, should you decide to take the matter further.
I asked two legal experts for their opinions on the issues you raised.
What you know: Sunjay Versani is director of criminal law at Duncan Lewis
Sunjay Versani, head of criminal law at Duncan Lewis, says: Unfortunately, many communities are increasingly affected by noise and disturbance caused by inconsiderate drivers, often called “boy racers.”
This behavior can cause serious disturbances, especially in quiet residential areas.
However, there are steps you and your neighbors can take to address the problem, although some may take time and may not immediately stop the disruptive behavior.
Since you already left a note in the car, it might also be worth calmly approaching the driver’s family and discussing your concerns when the driver and car are not present.
If this approach does not help, it is worth reporting the behavior to the police.
While there is a perception that the police may be too busy, they have a duty to tackle reckless and careless driving in residential areas, which can be classed as dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention.
Gather as much evidence as possible: Time-stamped video recordings of careless driving are very helpful.
Noise detection cameras can also record vehicles and noise levels, which can lead to fines if used by police.
You can contact the local police by calling the non-urgent number 101 and explain the safety risks posed by the driver’s behavior.
Enlisting the support of other neighbors in making this complaint can also increase the chances of action, as councils and the police tend to be more receptive to the concerns of the entire community.
Your council’s community safety team may also have initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour.
City councils sometimes work with police to install traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps or signs, especially if multiple residents report the same problem.
If the problem persists, ask your local council or police about issuing a Public Spaces Protection Order, which can restrict anti-social activities such as hard speeding and racing.
In serious cases, an anti-social behavior order could be used to limit disruptive activity.
Repeated disturbances, such as excessive noise and reckless driving, may qualify.
As a last resort, you might consider a civil nuisance claim. This requires proving that the driver’s actions harm your enjoyment of your property, which may involve legal advice and is a longer process with no immediate guarantees.
Whichever steps you choose, thoroughly document all incidents.
Complete evidence will help the police and council understand the impact of this behavior on your community, and the more neighbors who support the report, the better the chances of achieving a positive resolution.
Legal Expert: Declan Storrar is a lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen
Declan Storrar, attorney at Hodge Jones & Allen, says: It is very unfortunate that you are in this situation. While frustrating and upsetting, you may have some options available to you.
You will usually need to work with your council and local police service to reach a resolution.
In the first instance, you should report speeding incidents as they occur to local police.
The more reports you record, the more information there will be for police to consider whether they should or would be willing to take action.
The police are unlikely to act when complaints or evidence to the contrary are lacking.
You can normally send information or reports to the police online or via the non-emergency 101 number.
In some cases and with sufficient evidence, the police may decide to take direct action against the person against whom you file the complaint.
In addition to reporting to the police department, once you have sufficient evidence, you can also report this matter to your city council and local councilor.
In support of your claim, you may be able to provide additional evidence such as witness statements from local residents, videos, doorbell camera recordings (subject to compliance with specific legislation), incident diaries and police incident numbers since the 101 notification.
Your local council is ultimately responsible for setting local speed limits and introducing traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and chicanes.
You can apply to your local council for a permanent Traffic Regulation Order.
This will prompt your council to carry out an assessment to decide whether traffic calming measures are feasible, necessary and within the councils budget.
If the council believes this is the case, a more detailed assessment will be carried out and you will be informed of the results.
If your application is successful it may be deferred until the council’s next financial year or budget.
It is important to note that should your council refuse to implement traffic calming measures, you cannot take traffic calming measures into your own hands.
Any attempt to place calming measures on public roads is considered an illegal obstruction of roads and streets which, if convicted, carries a prison sentence or a fine, or both.
As an alternative to the process set out above, you may resort to a non-contractual process or a private process. However, you should seek legal advice in this regard.