More calls for the parents of youth offenders to be held accountable.

A number of youths have fallen foul of the law recently, including a 15-year-old Otara boy who died in a crash yesterday after fleeing police.

The same teenager was in a van spotted driving the wrong way on an Auckland motorway last month.

Former policeman and Blue Light chief executive Rod Bell said a pledge by the National Party to crack down on negligent parents is a step in the right direction.

"Often the most stable adult in some of these young peoples lives is actually the police officer who's dealt with them, who tries the hardest to put things in place to help them."

Bell said some parents simply aren't up the task of raising kids.

"If we can't help the parents generation, we want the next one to be helped and if that means lifestyles away from their families, then we need to look at that."

Other teens have been seen dropping rocks off Auckland overpasses onto traffic, while a train was recently stopped by a group of youths and spray painted on.