Tough new hoon laws to come into force

Friday, 6 January 2017
 
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• ​Tougher confiscated laws for school zones and suburban streets
• Will be easier to sell hoon vehicles for re-use or scrap metal
• New powers to seize and confiscate unlicensed motorbikes

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.

Acting Premier, Police and Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said the new laws, which come into force on January 14, responded to community frustration and fears of dangerous hoon drivers on their streets.

Ms 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 irresponsible and dangerous driving, you could lose your car for good."

The Acting Premier 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.

Ms 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.

The new laws come as the State Government revealed the worst hoon suburbs for 2016 after police seized a total of 1,674 vehicles.

The highest hoon vehicle seizures were from:

• Willetton - 36
• Stirling  - 36
• Innaloo - 28
• Forrestdale - 28
• Como - 26

Fact File

• Illegal trail bike complaints have increased 90% over the past three years
• Profits from sold and scrapped vehicles are deposited into the Road Trauma Trust Account