Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

19/4/13

Queensland will now see serial hoons’ vehicles sold or crushed sooner after the Newman Government passed the country’s toughest anti-hooning penalties in last night.

The new penalties will see people committing two serious hooning offences have their motor vehicle confiscated indefinitely as part of changes to the Police Powers and Responsibilities (Motor Vehicle Impoundment) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012.

Police Minister Jack Dempsey said Queenslanders were fed up with dangerous hooning on public roads and wanted the brakes put on the perpetrators.

“Hooning such as racing and driving recklessly in the suburbs is not only socially unacceptable, it is outright dangerous and places the lives of all road users at risk,” Mr Dempsey said.

“In the past we have even seen hoons lose control of their vehicles before ploughing into yards and houses injuring and, in some cases, taking the lives of innocent people.

“The community and the Government were sick and tired of hoons and these new penalties will see their cars off the road for 90 days for the first offence, and confiscated and sold or crushed if they commit a second hooning offence within a five year period.”

The two strikes approach will apply to those committing Type 1 offences which include:
• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
• Racing and speed trials on roads
• Wilfully starting a motor vehicle or driving a motor vehicle in a way that makes unnecessary noise or smoke
• Evade police

Mr Dempsey said the new laws would address frustration in the community which, under the previous government, continued to see hoons back on the road even after multiple offences.

“Under Labor more than 92 per cent of vehicles previously impounded ended up back on the road,” he said.

“We are telling the people of Queensland that the police now have the legislative tools to truly put the brakes on hoons. If there’s a local hooning issue they should contact their local police station or the Hoon Hotline on 13HOON (13 4666).”

• Wilfully starting a motor vehicle or driving a motor vehicle in a way that makes unnecessary noise or smoke

• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicl

• Racing and speed trials on roads

“In the past we have even seen hoons lose control of their vehicles before ploughing into yards and houses injuring and, in some cases, taking the lives of innocent people"