Anti-hoon laws - your opinion?

[Sneeza]

OK guys - what do you think about this law to be introduced??? Constructive criticism - no stupid comments like "police can suck my D ick"

Plan for hoon laws

01mar04

CAR hoons could lose both their vehicles and their driver's licence under tough new laws to be introduced to the West Australian Parliament.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts said the "anti-hoon" legislation, due to be introduced in the next few weeks, followed 60 deaths related to reckless and dangerous during the past 12 months.

The proposed laws would allow police to seize and impound the vehicles of people caught drag racing or doing burnouts.

A first offence would result in a car being impounded for up to 48 hours, but second-time offenders could have their licence suspended and their car impounded for up to three months.

A third offence would mean forfeiture of the vehicle and the cancellation of a driver's licence.

"These hoons have no respect for the law or other people in the community," Mrs Roberts said.

"Their reckless, selfish and dangerous behaviour not only threatens their own lives, but other innocent people using the road system."

She said the community had a right to feel safe and that is why she would push to have hoons removed from the streets.

Mrs Roberts said seven of the 60 deaths during the past year occurred in six weeks.

"In one incident, the two young occupants of a car were travelling at more than 160kph down a freeway before the driver lost control and crashed into an embankment," she said.

[Lynx]

I wouldnt mind guessing that Mrs Roberts was that 50+ year old that was doing 40km down the freeway with the line of 50 or so cars behind her.

Personally I'd feel safer if they went and forced a compulsary drivers licence re-test every 3-5 years, especially for the elderly. I wouldnt mind betting that there were more deaths last year from people who can not drive correctly, dont look before they change lanes, and dont know the road rules than any deaths related to so called "hoons".

The real problem they should address is teaching people how to drive. This unfortunately is something they dont do here in WA. The driving test is a joke and if they really want to make an impact on road deaths then they should be testing and training drivers more often.

Personally I think this law won't do a single thing to reduce any sort of "hooning". It would also be interesting to see how the legalities of it would stack up in a courtroom if they tried to take the vehicle from someone (any lawyers in here?).

[HIPSI]

Cant say i agree with the getting caught for the third time and you lose your car part of this new law.

I worked long hours to pay for my car, would hate to see that happen to somebody.

As long as they enforce it fairly eg. Dont pick on certain import cars. then i dont really have a problem with it.

[ReVN211]

what puzzles me is people that drink drive are allowed to drive their cars home the next day, when they should be targeted harder than someone that churps there tyres in second....

[Manual]

Honestly I agree with Lynx

It took me 10 minutes to get my drivers licence for my car and took me half that to get my bike licence!! Yeah ok - small country towns - but still - in that time you can hardly tell if they are a competent driver or not.

But yeah - complusory re-testing or a decent advanced driver education to ensure that to get your licence you really do need to be able to drive well.

And totally - to have your car confiscated permanently after 3 offences??? I would not be impressed with that - yeah ok - licence suspensions and the like - but not total confiscation of vehicles.

Manual

[ReVN211]

if anything this will cause more deaths as people aint going to stop for the cops in fear that their car is going to be taken, so their will be more high speed chases and as the saying goes "speed kills"

[zanda]

taken form my post in a similar thread on SilWA :

60 people killed due to reckless and dangerous driving.......

ok, in order to appreciate what this means, you need to define what reckless driving or dangerous driving are.

I suspect that the majority of the people have died as a result of doing 30 kms over the speed limit and binning an excel.

I also understand that "dangerous driving" charges can be laid on anyone who causes more than $1000 (? or is it 2?) damage to another vehicle. meaning, if I backed into a car in a carpark, I would be dangerous......or if I had a head on smash with someone and we were both doing the limit on a wet/slipperry road.

i.e. nearly any accident where someone dies involves an act of recklessness or dangerous driving.

my gripe then, is that excels doing 30 kms ove the speed limit are not the cars that will be confiscated....

the cars which do get confiscated will be left to police discretion (within limits) and will likely also be the cars which currently receive disproportionately high rate of work order stickers..... and on this basis, I beleive that the proposal is a direct response to the media beatup regarding "hooning", and is intended to specifically target the sports/performance car population.

[Nizmo]

If you want to know what to expect ..... go to the people that already have it ......

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/sh...7551#post707551

[Kaido_RR]

hmmm,

i think this is a good / bad idea. At the moment my skyline is in my dad's name for insurance, therefore what would happen if the person is done for the 3rd time in a car which they do not own ? i cant see how the government can just take away your car and sell it :confused:

and like Lee said, i think people would be more likly 2 try and run if they know that will be losing there car

[Kaido_RR]

also, i remember back when there was all the stuff on the news about the hooning ect (when that lexus had the crash) and i remember one of the statments made by the head cop dude

"we dont appolgues for targeting those sort of people" (something of those lines) so cops are already targeting HPI cars, wats going 2 happen after the new law comes into play..?

also on the point of street racing, My brother Inlaw brother was stop by the cops and told he was racing when he was the only car on the road (yes that is right) becuase he accerlator hard they said he was racing.

[memphis]

i agree with them, provided they dont target the wrong people.

i bet most of you would be mighty pissed if you lost your car for behaving yourself on the road, but if you where acting like an ass doing burnouts, you deserve it.

[Driver]

What does it mean by forfeiture of the vehicle? I mean i know its gone but what happens to it exactly?

I dont understand :confused:

And as 13_devil said, what if its not your car?

[JH32]

What does it mean by forfeiture of the vehicle? I mean i know its gone but what happens to it exactly?

I dont understand :confused:

And as 13_devil said, what if its not your car?

Probably gets impounded for 3 months or whatever the period of time is that they decide.

I agree with this I'm afraid. If you get caught on your third offence of dangerous driving, then you are obviously a complete idiot and shouldnt be on the roads anyway. Attempting to run away will only cause you more grief once you are actually caught.

Most of us here are "sensible" drivers ... yes we act a bit stupid perhaps on cruises etc but you get caught once and maybe you'll learn.

I think if you get caught three times doing 200 down the freeway or whatever the case may be, then stiff shit. There are too many reckless idiots out there giving us enthusiasts a bad name, not to mention endangering other road users.

I'm not trying to preach the good word, and say I'm an entirely responsible driver, but I know when I'm going too far.

[Driver]

I agree also

That rule does sound rather scary

[Elithrar]

Also discussed at antilag.com

But, much like I said at antilag; how can we trust police officers to be objective and not biased? I read about people who say that police officers give them yellow stickers even with permits; say they're speeding when they're not, etc etc.

[red17]

Well after hearing on the news tonight about the level of police corruption in WA I have my doubts about such a law being enforced legitimately. The Royal Commision report has highlighted many inadequacies in all departments of the police force.

Im all for removing idiots from our roads, theres nothing worse than seeing some fool racing through traffic and doing completely unreasonable things on the roads. But targeting it after the fact doesnt solve anything and causes deep seated resentment between youth and authority (of which there is more than enough already!).

Its not just youth either, motorists in general are having a more cynical view of government and police in regards to the enforcement of road laws (particularly in the area of revenue raising). No one has been hit harder in the past 5 years than the sporting motorist (and motorcyclist), a person who drives their car/bike for enjoyment. Whilst some have been hit with constant defect notices, others have been sought out and targeted specifically for other offences.

A confiscation law has got to be used with the utmost of care. Just like any serious penalty. Prosecuting (and persecuting) innocent people is not something the community will stand for. And quite frankly the behaviour of some traffic officers I have met and heard of in recent times leads me to fear for the worst for us motorists.

Lets have some sensible education (not just adverts about dead jumpin jezza!), decent driving examinations, re-evaluations and roadworthiness certifications before we decide to start taking vehicles off people. Since the government has clearly not even sought to attempt any of these options first, I must say im most disappointed.

Red17

[MirKz]

i honestly think they need to make driving students go through more training, as being recently passing my test etc in the last couple of years (and seeing my bro do it) i think their system is crap... cars can be driven both safely and dangerously at such high speeds (160km/h) etc.... that is my opinion alone...

student drivers need to be made to have a COMPULSORY training event with those gravel tracks, and wet road things (my mind has gone blank as to what theyre called...) oh thats it... Advanced Driver training....

i think they should be made to do burnouts in various conditions etc, taught how to do them, and how to control them !!! taught what happens when u swerve at high speeds.... etc etc. get some real training into these people and they not only become safer drivers, but they also KNOW how easily the car can become out of control!

unfortunately, it takes a lot of us (including me) to learn how quickly that can happen.

[Dsturbd]

Dont drive like a tool and you have nothing to worry about :headspin:

after loosing $7000 in laywers fees and fines i learnt my lesson and that was only one dangerous driving charge.....that was ten yrs ago and ive lost 6 demerit points since

[red17]

Dsturbd, not necessarily. It all comes down to what a police officer on the side of the road deems as being a "hoon". This interpretation could mean the difference between whether you lose or keep your car. This is my worry that essentially innocent people (or ones who would have previously just received a traffic infringement) could lose their car.

Whilst initially the legislation would be clear about what it deems as "hooning" what about 5, 10, 40 years down the track, is every officer going to know that law inside out and be able to determine on the side of the road if you were a "hoon". Probably not, considering they still cant seem to agree on whats even considered roadworthy.

Personally, ill be looking at statistic logging for my ECU so if required I can prove things in court. You can get chips for OBDII equipped cars for a couple of hundred dollars which can log up to 72 hours of driving. Handy.

*edit* oh and i dont mean to sound "anti-cop", merely highlighting that no system is perfect. I want hoons off the road as much as the next guy.

[Kaido_RR]

JiMiH, that is a good point most drivers know when to back off, it is that few which keep going and indangero themselfs and more important other people on the road. I am no son of god, but i know when it is time 2 brake and just slow down, or walk away.

It is your Choice what you do in your car, so if the police hold up there end and do not target anything it should work out