[singlepic id=351 w=320 h=240 float=left] Sixty-three cars were impounded in the Innisfail police district during 2010 under the State Government’s tough anti-hooning laws, Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt announced today.
Mr Pitt said the number of impoundments in 2010 was an 11 per cent decrease on the number of vehicles impounded during 2009, demonstrating that motorists from across the Innisfail district were getting the message that hooning would not be tolerated.
“Reckless driving in our community will not be tolerated – and if local hoons remain determined to break the rules they will be taken off our roads,” Mr Pitt said.
“Since anti-hooning laws were introduced by the Bligh Government, more than 200 vehicles from the Innisfail district have been impounded – 68 for ‘type 1’ offences and 134 for ‘type 2’ offences.”
“More than 1,500 have been impounded in the Far Northern Police Region and statewide more than 25,000 vehicles have been impounded under these laws since their introduction.”
“Our anti-hooning laws are the toughest in Australia and are a clear message to hoons that their vehicles will be seized if they don’t behave responsibly on our roads.”
Queensland’s ‘Type 1’ vehicle confiscation laws, introduced in 2002, allow police to target anti-social driving behaviour including street racing, time trials and burnouts.
In July 2007, an extension to impoundment laws was made to include drivers who repeatedly drive unregistered and uninsured vehicles, drive unlicensed or disqualified, drink drive over the high alcohol limit, fail to provide a specimen of breath or blood for testing, drive while under 24 hour suspension or drive illegally modified vehicles.
Under these new ‘Type 2’ provisions, police can impound a vehicle for 48 hours after a first repeat offence.
[singlepic id=350 w=320 h=240 float=left] Mr Pitt also urged residents to make full use the Queensland Police Service’s new hoon hotline, 13 HOON (4666).
“The 13 HOON hotline gives the public an easy to remember central contact point to report dangerous road use to police,” he said.
“Trained call takers record all details including vehicle registration, vehicle characteristics and location of the illegal activity and dispatch police units accordingly.”
“13 HOON is another option to report hooning activity to police if an incident is underway and there is no immediate danger to anyone or an event has already occurred.
“The Government is committed to our zero-tolerance approach to hooning, and the 13 HOON hotline is another way we can keep our roads safe for the majority of sensible road users.”
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