Two men who lost their sons in police car chases have backed a report which questions the justification for many police pursuits.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found most chases it investigated began because of traffic violations and few involved serious crimes.
Mark McElrea's teenage son died in 2007, whilst a passenger in a car which crashed after a high speed police chase.
He says the police knew who was driving and should have waited outside the boy's home to talk to him rather than give chase.
Wayne Wooster's son, Luke, was also killed in 2007 after a police chase.
Both say pursuit was unnecessary. They also contend that new laws to deter boy-racers are a factor in police pursuits, because more teens are afraid to stop for the police, for fear of huge fines or losing their cars.
137 chases reviewed
The IPCA reviewed 137 car chases since December 2003. It says most cases began over traffic violations and few uncovered evidence of serious crimes other than an offender's driving during a chase itself.
In the five years reviewed: 24 people died and 91 received serious injuries in police chases.
