Tough new laws to pull the brakes on hoons

• Hoon vehicles could be permanently confiscated on some first offences
• Will be easier to sell hoon vehicles for re-use or scrap metal
• New powers to seize and confiscate unlicensed motorbikes
• Covert hoon cameras to help enforce new laws

The Liberal National Government has again achieved another major election commitment, delivering tough new laws making it easier to permanently confiscate vehicles of hoon drivers.

Deputy Premier and Police Minister Liza Harvey said the new legislation, being introduced to State Parliament this week, responded to community frustration and fears of dangerous hoon drivers in their streets.

Mrs Harvey said under the new laws, courts could order permanent vehicle confiscation on a first offence if a motorist did any of the following:

• committed a hoon offence in an active school zone
• travelled 90kmh or more above the speed limit
• committed a hoon offence in a 50kmh or less zone (suburban street) which could result in harm or distress to a person or resulted in property damage, including the road.

“These new laws build on our successful existing hoon legislation and initiatives such as covert hoon cameras, which will help enforce the new laws,” she said.

“The new laws mean if you put our schoolchildren and residents in danger with your childish and reckless driving, you could lose your car for good.”

The Minister said the new laws would remove the red tape which tied up the permanent confiscation process and the resale or scrapping of uncollected hoon vehicles, saving taxpayers money.

“After the 28-day impoundment, the owner has three weeks to collect the vehicle or it’s gone and the surplus money will be deposited into the Road Trauma Trust Account,” she said.

“Forty-nine days is plenty of time for an owner to organise collection of their vehicle.”

Mrs Harvey said the new laws would also give police the power to seize unlicensed motorcycles such as trail bikes if they reasonably suspected they had been illegally ridden on the road.

“This will help address increasing complaints about the danger, noise and disruption caused by unlicensed, and mostly unroadworthy, trail bikes being illegally ridden on our roads,” she said.