The State Governments plan to crush hoons' cars after third offence.

[chrisfpv]

State Government says it will match part of opposition plan to crush hoons' cars after third offence
Matthew Johnston From: Herald Sun January 22, 2010 12:15PM

obHoon war has broken out in state political ranks with the government announcing it will move to crush unroadworthy or dangerous cars if hoon drivers are caught on a third offence.

Earlier today, the opposition announced if it was elected in November it would crush hoons’ cars after three offences, and would increase the impoundment penalty for a first offence from two days to 30 days.

The Brumby Government’s full anti-hoon policy will be released later this year, but Transport Accident Commission Minister Tim Holding said some cars would be crushed.

“Our Government will implement a new regime for repeat hoon driving offenders, which will result in repeat hoon offenders having their cars confiscated to be sold or crushed,” Mr Holding said.

Earlier this week, Premier John Brumby said he would seek advice on road safety issues and said everything was on the table – including crushing cars.

It is unclear whether that advice has been received.

Eighteen months ago Police Minister Bob Cameron said the idea of crushing cars was “irresponsible” and populist.

Mr Holding said cars could be sold to cover debts if a driver was driving someone else’s car, and remaining proceeds would go towards road safety. Only the most dangerous or unroadworthy cars would be crushed to send a message.

The government will also look at increasing the impoundment penalty for a first offence from two days to seven days.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said it was time to crack down on hoons who put people’s lives at risk.

“Victorians need a strong zero tolerance approach to hoon driving,” Mr Baillieu said.

“This means tough laws which increase impoundment times, force hoon drivers to take safe driving training, and forfeit and crush vehicles of the worst repeat offenders.”

The Opposition’s police would introduce new anti-hoon laws, including:

- A 30-day impoundment for a first hoon offence, and requirement that a safe driving course is completed by offenders;

- Up to three months impoundment for a second offence;

- Crushing of vehicles for a third offence after parts are stripped and sold.

Mr Baillieu said the money raised from selling car parts would help the program run as cost neutral, with any excess money put into the TAC and Police budgets.

He said the tougher laws would act in a similar way to current anti-hoon measures where police can apply to courts to have vehicles confiscated.

Mr Baillieu said a key part of the program would be driver re-education.

The Opposition and Government say they will not crush cars if they are owned by third parties.

Mr Baillieu said forfeiture of a car would not occur if the “registered operator or owner of a vehicle can prove the offence was committed without their knowledge or consent".

Impounding would not occur in cases of stolen or hired vehicles either.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vic...-1225822477807

[UNR8D]

$500 penalty for one, $60,000 for another.

Why don’t we crush houses where a pill press is found because clearly the offence was committed in that abode.

MORONS.

[Mansal]

About bl o o dy time I say!

[xbgs351]

Out of interest is there any time limit between offences? What if the third offence is 2o years after the first?

[Bucknaked]

You deserve to have your car crushed if you've received 2 fines and warnings it will happen. In the past week, we have seen what irresponsible drivers can do. Drunk, P-Plater with 5 passengers, speeding, killing himself and 4 others. That bloke was a hoon, and where did it get him. 6 feet under.

Time to get tough. And if it means crushing their car. Then they have no-one else to blame but themselves. Demerit point loss or fines are not enough to stop these clowns from reoffending. Jail time should also be part of the deal.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

Why don’t we crush houses where a pill press is found because clearly the offence was committed in that abode.

MORONS.

They tend to take the house and everything else bought with the money they made from the drugs.

[jpd80]

I still favour permanent confiscation and sale to go to funding for road trauma victims.

[Franco Cozzo]

I say they strip the cars and donate the parts to schools, at my school we have a big auto room with car hoists and lots of engines people have donated to the school for the kids to take apart and build again, the school bought 2 new Alloytech engines too.

[Kryton]

The time limit is 6 years from the first offense - 2 more offense in that time and your a candidate.
Also, the car has to be owned outright (no monies owing) and it has to be your car you are caught in.

For the first offense, The car is impoundend for 3 months and fines.
The 3rd offense is at the Judges discretion as to whether the car is crushed or not.

They said out of all the cars that have been confiscated so far (thousands) less than 100 would be a candidate for crushing.

Not really a deterant if you ask me but the rules are becoming a bit more fairer.
Im all for crushing/or selling dipshts cars if they deserve it and cant act responsibly on the road but again, once you read the fine print, it isnt really going to solve anything.

[XR6_190]

I think this was an expected move from Brumby, it's been getting very heavy media attention lately. Personally, I don't think this will stop future events similar to last weekend, People like that are just too dumb.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by XCPWSF

They tend to take the house and everything else bought with the money they made from the drugs.

game set and match.. again!

[Sorted]

Yeah cause crushing cars is going to stop the one of person - doesnt the government listen to their own police forces :togo: : :

I am so over the government not doing the proper research before they act - then after crushings cars does not work then what are they going to do???

And i quote:-

Vic anti-hoon laws working: Overland January 20, 2010

AAP

Victoria's top cop says the state's anti-hoon laws are working, despite a high speed crash that killed five teenagers on the weekend.

Since the fatal crash, there have been a spate of incidents involving youths who have continued to flout the law by speeding, doing burnouts and crashing a car while driving unlicensed.

But police commissioner Simon Overland on Wednesday said there has been little reoffending by hoons who have had their cars impounded under the laws.

"The hoon laws are working," he told ABC radio.

"After we take a car off someone for the first time the recidivism rate after that is about two per cent.

"That says to me that it is having an impact."

His comments appear to contradict statements made by the state's top traffic cop deputy commissioner Ken Lay, who on Monday said there had been an increase in the deaths of young male drivers.

"We're doing some evaluations now to try and understand the road safety benefits (of the anti-hoon laws)," he said.

"But .. last year there was an increase in the deaths of 18 to 20-year-olds.

"This hasn't been the panacea."

Since the anti-hoon legislation was introduced two-and-a-half-years ago, police have seized almost 10,000 cars.

Crushing cars could be another way of solving the hoon problem, Mr Overland said.

"That is ultimately a matter for government, if it works and there is evidence I am all for it," he said.

"It has been suggested to me that the psychological blow top the owner of the car to see it crushed ... is a way of making a point.

"I think we really need to look at the evidence and be guided by that."

[Franco Cozzo]

I don't mind them crushing cars but as I said above, maybe they could be used to help people in schools learn some car knowledge by donating them to schools all around Victoria. Use them as drivers ed for the kids to get behind the wheel. Corolla or GTR.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Sorted

Yeah cause crushing cars is going to stop the one of person - doesnt the government listen to their own police forces :togo: : :

I am so over the government not doing the proper research before they act - then after crushings cars does not work then what are they going to do???

And i quote:-

READ and comprehend what's proposed before blabbering nonsense...

3 strikes is warning enough.

[Romulus]

Hopefully you Vic's will have drink drivers classified as 'hoons' as well. After all, the 19yo that died had a BAC of 0.19......I believe there is a strong argument for it. I wish we had drink drivers classified as 'hoons' in WA. I've no tollerance for ****y drivers.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by TVS Super Pursuit

Hopefully you Vic's will have drink drivers classified as 'hoons' as well. After all, the 19yo that died had a BAC of 0.19......I believe there is a strong argument for it. I wish we had drink drivers classified as 'hoons' in WA. I've no tollerance for ****y drivers.

Im sure a drink driver would be classified as such without any question.

[Elks]

Brumby / Balieu etc dont get it. They are applying their educated middle class standards, to a young and dumb problem.

i had an encounter a dumb a$$ radio fitter at work one day about a year ago.

Him and his mates had got onto the impound car program and came up with solution to the impounded car / unroadworthy sticker problem..

The buy $500 bombs and do burnouts with them and if they get caught they just abandon them.

At no point does it cross their small minds to do the right thing.

Crushing cars will make headlines but will not solve the problem.

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

You deserve to have your car crushed if you've received 2 fines and warnings it will happen. In the past week, we have seen what irresponsible drivers can do. Drunk, P-Plater with 5 passengers, speeding, killing himself and 4 others. That bloke was a hoon, and where did it get him. 6 feet under.

Time to get tough. And if it means crushing their car. Then they have no-one else to blame but themselves. Demerit point loss or fines are not enough to stop these clowns from reoffending. Jail time should also be part of the deal.

Have to agree with everything said above.

You'd think people would think about the consequences of there actions, but some people just don't want to hear about it and don't care. Car crushing in my opinion is only one step forward in the right direction to stopping "hoon" driving.

If drivers get to the point where there car is in line to be crushed, they shouldn't have there licence.

[snappy]

Originally Posted by Sorted

Yeah cause crushing cars is going to stop the one of person - doesnt the government listen to their own police forces :togo: : :

I am so over the government not doing the proper research before they act - then after crushings cars does not work then what are they going to do???

And i quote:-

I listened to interview , its the one were he said drag racing is a stupid sport (the legal kind) . I got quite annoyed .


An on the crushing cars thing i think we make have a few more high speed chases on our hands.

[Sorted]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

READ and comprehend what's proposed before blabbering nonsense...3 strikes is warning enough.

Whats to comprehend?

The introduction of the Hoon Law Works, its a Fact - they would rather try and fix something that aint broke rather than look at alternatives.

Now its become a stunt to gain voters at the poll - yes it looks good on paper and yes it will look good in the media but we already have a hoon law which is working...........

[snappy]

At the end of the day it a public policy aimed at getting votes . The get tough on crime is not that unusual .
An me personally have not had a problem with hoons yet except for the odd speeding car .
The only real hoon i have come across was a unmarked police car trying to bait me into drag racing when we were travelling on the princess hwy . When i ingnored him he spend off to the next set of cars which i could only assume would of been a speed close to 160kph.

[mrbaxr6t]

Originally Posted by snappy

At the end of the day it a public policy aimed at getting votes . The get tough on crime is not that unusual .
An me personally have not had a problem with hoons yet except for the odd speeding car .
The only real hoon i have come across was a unmarked police car trying to bait me into drag racing when we were travelling on the princess hwy . When i ingnored him he spend off to the next set of cars which i could only assume would of been a speed close to 160kph.

isn't that entrapment? and if so I thought that was illegal?

[snappy]

I dont think there is a law for entrapment - I think thats a american thing .

They have doing it for years in bendigo , race you of the lights as soon as you go above 60 there lights would come on and book you . They catch countless people doing it there.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Im sure a drink driver would be classified as such without any question.

The problem is it's not, or at least, not in WA. Drink Driving doesn't constitute a 'hoon' act. If it was we'd need an area the size of Perth Airport and surrounding land to store the number of impounded vehicles.

Our government isn't brave enough to tackle drink driving offences like it does young Bazza doing a burnout in his VS ecotec late at night.

[ED Classic]

Originally Posted by XCPWSF

They tend to take the house and everything else bought with the money they made from the drugs.

In some cases they may get it all, they wouldnt always though

[PANELCORP]

I support the idea of selling the vehicles and giving the proceeds from sale to the people left disabled from an accident or to the families of those killed in an accident.

Too many lives have been shattered by hoons, drink driving and drug driving - why destroy the easiest way of giving something back to those who have been hurt in the process

[greenfoam]

What shits me is that the word Hoon is being degraded, Once you could go for a spirited drive on the weekend, legal and happy "going for a hoon". No different than having a BBQ and a whole lot less destructive in the grand scheme of things.

How you can use that word for a druken fool that stacked is beyond me and how you can crush someones car for what could possibly be 3 cases of totally controlled more than average but legal corner speed or slight wheelspin is beyond me too.

Why can't you just slap a fine on someone for massive sideways action in crowded/dangerous roads, it's exactly the same deterrent. It's not fair to impose more and more restrictive laws on everyone just because the goverment has been unable to provide a happy enviroment for the current generation to grow up without anger. In the end that's their job and they are failing at it badly

[prydey]

Originally Posted by davway

Also, the car has to be owned outright (no monies owing)

so as long as i make sure i always owe some money on my car, they can't crush it?

[The Monty]

I agree with the laws and all, but I still think there needs to be some major clarrification on what a "Hoon" acts actually is.

For instance, 24 year old in a GTR in 110km/h zone goes to overtake a truck legally, accelerates to 130m/h, pulls back in and gets done for 20km/h over. Would be classified as a hoon act.

80 y/o Grandmother taking sons car out, its a manual F6. Takes off but lets the clutch go a bit to early creating around 1 second of wheelspin. Would they still book her for hooning? If not, if it was a 24 y/o done the same thing, would THIS be classified as hooning?

Drink Driving is a much larger problem than hooning (in my eyes, of course not everyone agrees) and drug driving is even worse. These people who do EITHER of these should have there licenses done for 5 years, and cars sold to fund programs to combat this horrific driving practice.

[BabyJ]

I agree with crushing repeat hoon offenders cars... but why stop there?

Why not impound and sell/crush ALL repeat road offenders cars?

As mentioned above, repeat drink driving should be included, as well as people who drive while unlicenced or suspended.
IMHO both these show no regard for other road users.

Also, I like the idea of any money made to be given to the TAC budget, but don't give it to the police. Let the Government use our money for that.
Use the HOONS money to invest in more driver education programs/activities so that we can help the younger generation understand.