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 car confiscated indefinitely as part of changes to the Police Powers and Responsibilities (Motor Vehicle Impoundment) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012.
The new penalties will see people committing two serious hooning offences have their car 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
• 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).”
While the hooning laws have now been passed through State Parliament, they won’t come into effect for six months to allow sufficient time for logistics to be finalised and community education about the new penalties as requested by the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee.
Below is a list of current hooning offences broken down by district for the past 12 months
Please note: the Two Strikes policy related to traditional Type 1 offences only. Please see the Proposed Motor Vehicle Impoundment Process Matrix below for a list of Type 1 and 2 penalties and definitions.
Type 1
No. of Offences
No. of Vehicles Impounded
GLADSTONE
28
23
LONGREACH
0
0
MACKAY
36
23
ROCKHAMPTON
24
19
CENTRAL REGION
88
65
CAIRNS
23
17
INNISFAIL
5
4
MAREEBA
5
2
FAR NORTHERN REGION
33
23
BRISBANE CENTRAL
3
1
BRISBANE WEST
8
6
NORTH BRISBANE
36
30
PINE RIVERS
15
11
METROPOLITAN NORTH REGION
62
48
OXLEY
35
25
SOUTH BRISBANE
21
15
WYNNUM
16
11
METROPOLITAN SOUTH REGION
72
51
BUNDABERG
11
11
CABOOLTURE
27
19
GYMPIE
15
12
MARYBOROUGH
28
25
REDCLIFFE
16
12
SUNSHINE COAST
60
50
NORTH COAST REGION
157
129
MOUNT ISA
8
7
TOWNSVILLE
37
26
NORTHERN REGION
45
33
COOMERA
41
27
GOLD COAST
34
27
LOGAN
83
70
SOUTH EASTERN REGION
158
124
CHARLEVILLE
2
2
DALBY
9
9
IPSWICH
30
26
ROMA
6
3
TOOWOOMBA
41
32
WARWICK
13
11
SOUTHERN REGION
101
83
QUEENSLAND TOTAL
716
556
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