QLD 40 Vehicles a Day Taken off the Road Under Anti-Hoon Laws But not "Hooning"

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"FORTY vehicles a day are being taken off the roads under anti-hooning laws but many of their drivers have never drag-raced or performed a burnout.

Since new legislation targeting reckless drivers was introduced in Queensland in November 2013, police have either impounded or confiscated the number plates of 18,682 cars, four-wheel-drives and motorcycles.

Of these, 1795 were seized for traditional hoon acts such as reckless driving, evading police, street-racing and burnouts.

The remainder were confiscated because motorists were repeatedly caught driving while uninsured, unregistered, unlicensed or with a blood-alcohol limit above .15.

Some have also been nabbed with illegally modified vehicles or doing more than 40km/h over the limit.

More than 2280 serial offenders have faced losing their vehicle permanently.

There have been more than 85,000 offences under the laws since they came in.

Although the LNP sold the laws as their tough “anti-hooning” policy, the term “hoon” is not referenced anywhere in the legislation.



“Perhaps a better term (for the law) would be anti-social driving,” Road Policing Command Acting Inspector Ian Krang said. “Someone recklessly doing a burnout – I’d call that person a hoon. I wouldn’t call someone who lets their driver’s licence expire a hoon.”

Insp Krang said hardcore hoons were still active throughout the state but they were less prone to routine illegal meets in public because of increased enforce-ment of the laws.

He said law-abiding motoring buffs who liked to “show and shine” their vehicles at sanctioned events should not be mistaken for hoons.

But law-abiding revheads have slammed hoons who tarnish their image, saying they are being unfairly targeted by police as a result.

Downshift Australia has the largest gatherings of revheads in Australia, with two meets a month in Queensland.

Director Matyas Fulop said police target people at his events for “trivial” offences.

“We’ve got people trying to come to a car meet that is properly organised, insured, on private property and away from residential housing,” he said. “They (police) come to our events looking for things wrong on the cars, they’ll say it’s their job, but really, is it?”

Mr Fulop said anyone caught doing a dangerous hooning act on a public road deserved everything the law can throw at them.

Luke Greensill goes to Downshift meets and said it was disheartening to get tarred with the same brush as hoons.

“The majority of enthusiasts are well behaved. It spoils the public perception of our culture,” he said"
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