Police are warning the rise in the use of petrol-powered bicycles on roads is putting lives at risk.
The head of road policing in Western Bay of Plenty said there had already been one crash in his region involving a bicycle fitted with an internal combustion engine.
Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said petrol-powered bicycles can reach speeds exceeding 50 kilometres an hour, and coupled with their poor brakes and low-rated tyres, can become difficult to control.
He said riders using them on the road could face hundreds of dollars in fines.
