GTA New Zealand: What Kiwis are using to flee police

Welcome to Grand Theft Auto: New Zealand edition.

Newshub has obtained statistics on the types of vehicle used by drivers fleeing police, showing the most - and least - popular.

The favourite criminal vehicle is the car, with 4094 incidents recorded between January 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018.

In second place is the motorcycle, which was used 721 times to flee. Back in third is the 4x4/SUV with 229, and utes come fourth with 169.

Criminal Kiwis' favourite getaway vehicles.
Criminal Kiwis' favourite getaway vehicles. Photo credit: Newshub.

Newshub took a look at the vehicles used, and some of their advantages and disadvantages.

Car
 

Whether hooning away from a country checkpoint in your modded WRX or powersliding through south Auckland streets in the Supra, the car is the vehicle of choice for criminals fleeing police.

Used in 4094 incidents around the country, the car offers both high speed and handling capabilities.

Capable of carrying around five gang members at a time, the boot also offers a reasonable storage area for stolen goods.

On the downside, weaknesses include a susceptibility to road spikes and poor off-road abilities.

bike
Motorbikes are fast, but dangerous. Photo credit: Getty

Motorcycle
 

The second-most popular vehicle is the motorcycle, with 721 incidents recorded by police.

It's fast, nimble and able to nip between gaps in traffic, but there is a trade-off - crashes don't tend to end well.

4x4/SUV
 

Great for ram-raids and escaping off-road chases, otherwise avoid.

Ute
 

The humble ute is a Kiwi icon, but is hardly used compared to the car. What are your opinions why?

Van
 

Lacking the speed or stability of a car or SUV, the van is way back in the statistics with just 97 criminals using it to flee police.

However if successfully used in the evasion, the extra interior space means it is capable of carrying off a much larger quantity of stolen property.

scooter moped
Mopeds aren't very quick. Photo credit: Getty

Moped
 

With a maximum speed of just 50km/h, the moped is little-used compared to its big brother, the motorcycle.

It's suspected that the lack of pace is the main thing holding this back. There's a reason they're called motorcycle gangs, not moped gangs.

Other
 

This nebulous category would include such seldom-used getaway methods as the bicycle, rollerblades, skateboard and kayak. It could also include heavy machinery such as the digger and bulldozer - although it's believed these methods are comparatively less successful.

Truck
 

The ultimate beast when it comes to fleeing police, the truck is virtually unstoppable and able to power through roadblocks with ease.

However it does take significantly more skill to operate at high speed - and it's hard to blend in with traffic.

Newshub.