Tough new hoon laws proposed

WA COULD soon have the nation’s toughest anti-hoon laws with new legislation to go before State Parliament today.

Under the Road Traffic Amendment (Hoons) Bill 2009, anyone charged with a third offence would have their vehicle confiscated and proceeds from its sale would go to road safety projects.

The legislation would increase the period a vehicle was impounded from seven days to 28 for a first hoon offence and from 28 days to three months for a second offence.

Reckless driving would be considered a hoon offence and there would also be severe penalties for people who deface or devalue a vehicle after being served with a notice of intention to confiscate.

Police would also have the power to arrest offenders for reckless driving and from July 1 this year, there would be vehicle sanctions for unlicensed drivers.

Under the new laws, if a person was caught driving without a valid licence, WA Police would impound the vehicle on the spot for 28 days.

A court can impound a vehicle owned by second-time offender for up to three months and in the case of a third offence, a court can confiscate the vehicle regardless of ownership.

The State Government has also set up a new hotline on 1300 720 111 where people can check their current demerit point status.

What everyone else is thinking

sam

07/05/2012

These laws are fair enough although there should be different laws to do with speeding and burnouts. i lost my licence for 6 months for 'hooning' by taking off from the lights too quickly....and yes i am a 'p' plater. speeding is the thing that kills people people doing stupid speed limits getting messed up by the laws yeh fair enough but when doing a burnout half the time ur not moving very fast anyway and if you are stupid enough to hit someone it aint gunna kill em! everyone was young once ive lost my job, had to move back home and and have to leave 3 hours before i start tafe to get there an hour early otherwise ill be late, all because im a p plater and i took off hooning from the lights

mark

06/01/2012

excellent idea ,anything to make it tougher on hoons and reckless driving is good for the community, no matter what excuses are given it is always true that speed kills.

Peter

13/11/2011

I believe this is government scare tactics to win votes from the ageing population. Firstly I personally believe no elected supposedly democratic government should have the right to take ones hard earned possessions for any reason. It has been proven by countless surveys and study's that speed is not the factor in road deaths it is due to poor roadways and or layout and lastly unskilled drivers. The government could cut the road toll by a massive amount by increasing the quality of our roadways and increasing driver training through defensive driving courses such as those used in some European countries, but they won't because all they care about is the bottom line speed cameras and this hooks law act generates massive revenue for all states and increases votes received by our ageing population guaranteeing them longer terms in government. Fact. Any vehicle or driver can be classified as a hoon it's all upto the discretion of the officer or now even a vindictive member of the public.

Dave

22/09/2011

2nd offence crush the car, bill the owner, bann the driver for 5 or more years, fine them and make them clean up after a fatal accidents no matter when, where, time send them out to pick up the bits. I did that for 7 years.

princess beyoncey

01/12/2010

i think it will be intresting to see how the hoon laws work

Monica

26/11/2010

I welcome these laws. When pimply dorks do burnouts it lowers property values, scares the wits out of old folk, why not go to an industrial area and do it. Today I witnessed a P plater go through a red at high speed, idiot. I've had Falcons, Toranas, Valiants, but burnouts in suburbia was not on or the done thing. Barnett is still not tough enough, second offence mandatory crusher, the courts and magistrates are unable or unwilling to enforce the law, and the public has had enough of "slaps on the wrist".

haylee

23/11/2010

to me this sounds like a good idea but i think that it won't do much i think that they should do more then just what they are doing now because i'm sure one day it will end up going wrong

Jamez

16/08/2010

you guys are all stupid, there is hooning and then there is hooning, in a quiet place when no one is around at all doesn t hurt anyone. Doing it in a suburben area is dumb and yer should get busted around there but if were doing it in diss used industrial areas whats the big deal yet they still try to catch us Some of us try to do it safly but that just isnt good enough

clinton

21/07/2010

ive got a question
as a p plater, ive recently got flashd goin through a orange light an a speed that is higher then the speed limit?
im in perth do you think i would loose my license at 20km over?

19/05/2010

These laws are flawed when two people can report you hooning without any fair way of proving your innocence. Ihave personaly seen this happen. The driver lost his car, license, got a massive fine, lost his business and his home. All on the say so of two people who the driver had a run in with at a local park. They simply went after him. This man is now border line suicidal. But who cares Mr Johnson as long as you get your way.

Anthony

12/08/2009

Allison

10/08/2009

I can't believe how many people are against this bill. I am a 16 yr old girl studying politics and law, and I must say, I am in full support of this bill.Sure, "kids will be kids", but do they have to be kids in a killing machine? I am currently on my L plates, so I am soon to be in the group that is "targeted",but what people don't seem to realise is that it's all fun and games until some innocent person passer byer gets KILLED!!!Yes, teenagers are under pressure to impress their mates, but if they're stupid enough to get behind the wheel and act like idiots, they deserve to lose their car. Like small children, they need to be punished immediately to teach them an important lesson..and if they don't learn after the first or second time, then they deserve to have their cars sold or crushed..and it's not government revenue, because all the money raised is going towards road safety projects, so it's funding it's own cause!

Jen

29/07/2009

Hoon Bill is silly!

Tom Harvey

28/07/2009

It Sounds bad. But very good website!!!!!!!

matt

12/07/2009

look you are all happy with this law etc but i think your forgetting what its like being young, having constant pressure to impress people etc. i think there should be a big crack down on people going over 40 over the limit but c'mon seriously when has a burnout ever hurt anyone? i really believe its revenue raising not for safety. The next thing is cops targeting 'p' plate drivers. i have been pulled over several times for no reason just because im a 'p' plater in a commodore. i think its wrong and needs serious looking at by people of ALL ages. thank you!

Ash

21/06/2009

its good to read up on tougher hoon laws . but there should not be a 3rd time before the car is sold . it should be done on the second offence an the driver jailed til the court appearence . that would certinally send a message out to all drivers that act like idiots on the road . and at the same time make our roads a lot safer for everyone .

Stanley

19/06/2009

Love it when I see them fancy cars with damaged front fenders because they have no idea how long their vehicle is and get hungup on footpaths and other kurbing .

C_T

18/06/2009

it sounds good but still isn't tough enough. Cars should be confiscated and sold on the 2nd offence, not the third. And the cars should be taken then and there and the driver jailed immediately and left in lock up until a court hearing. That would get the idiots off the streets straight away and prevent them stripping the good parts off their cars and keeping them for their next vehicle. The police should have the power to take cars and it shouldn't be up to the courts. That is just a waste of court time.