First cars clamped under new “hoon” legislation

[TVR-190]

NSW police have “wheel clamped” two vehicles seized for alleged street racing in Sydney at the weekend.

It is the first time police have enacted the clamping provisions of the state government’s Road Transport Legislation Amendment (Car Hoons) Act 2008.

The new wheel clamping powers are being trialled in the Liverpool and Wollongong Local Area Commands.

Under the act, police have the power to confiscate vehicles allegedly involved in street racing or “burn out” offences.

The second phase of the amendment allows police to clamp vehicles and impound them at the owner’s premises at the driver’s expense.

Offenders will be required to pay for the initial restraint of their vehicle and the release of the clamp at the end of the mandatory three month period.

Police warn any attempt to tamper with the wheel locks would incur a $2,200 fine per offence.

Two Mitsubishi FTO vehicles were seized two days ago after an alleged street race at Liverpool.

Around 12.30am on Sunday (11 January), it’s alleged the sports cars sped off from an intersection on Orange Grove Road and attempted to overtake each other at high speed on the Hume Highway.

Their alleged actions were witnessed by police in two unmarked cars, which had stopped behind them at a set of lights.

A 17-year-old P-2 provisional driver from Blair Athol, near Campbelltown, and a 19-year-old P-1 provisional driver from Figtree, in Wollongong, were stopped and charged with street racing offences.

Their confiscated cars were returned this morning, clamped and deposited at their homes.

The pair has been ordered to appear before the Liverpool Local Court on 26 February.

NSW Police Force Traffic Services Commander, John Hartley, said, “The presence of their clamped vehicles at their homes provides offenders with a daily reminder of what they’ve done wrong.

“While a first offence would see your car confiscated for three months, if you re-offend you run the risk of police removing your pride and joy for good,” Chief Superintendent Hartley said.

“Street racing endangers the lives of not only the drivers involved, but often innocent motorists and pedestrians,” he said.

“The process has the bonus of freeing up operational police and getting them back on the streets to protect the community.”

The clamping trials began at both commands on 26 September 2008 and will continue until further notice.

If successful, the program will be adopted state-wide.

from: http://www.australia.to/index.php?op...news&Itemid=29

which makes this next article even better:

A CONVICTED hoon has figured out a way to slip police road clamps and get back on the road, forcing SA authorites to reconsider the measure.

The South Australian man deflated the clamped tyre of his car and prised the clamp off.

When he arrived home, he reversed the process and manipulated the clamp back on before reinflating his tyre - so it appeared he was complying with a legal requirement to keep his car clamped.

Police were issued with a warning this week to tighten clamps allowing for little "give", and to photograph the vehicle and its exact location once it has been clamped.

Police are also considering alternatives to clamping, such as impounding the cars.

[CANYONERO]

ahahahaha, deflating the tyre........

[andyman]

**** that crap off, just crush them, no ifs or buts

dont even let them take there belongings out of it

[Astranomical]

So now we'll get people doing things like this? lol.

[DannyboyDS]

maybe they need to learn how to make a better clamp, I wonder if he got a fine for taking it off, technically he didn't touch the locking mechanisms.

[VS_Pete_1]

hehe There is always a way around things.

[fuzzy2308]

So now we'll get people doing things like this? lol.

lol, yiiiiiiahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Low_VX_Taxi]

**** that crap off, just crush them, no ifs or buts

dont even let them take there belongings out of it

Under the act, police have the power to confiscate vehicles allegedly involved in street racing or “burn out” offences.

So granny down the road thinks because you have an aftermarket exhaust that you are a street racing hoon and reports you, so your car gets crushed for "allegedly" street racing.

Not to mention the definition of "street racing" is too open, not very well defined so leaves so much room for exploitation.

I personally like this idea (once they prevent it from being removed). Will shame the offender and also prevent many problems of other solutions:

Crushing: Waste of a car, just because the drivers a tool doesn't mean the car needs to be destroyed.

Impounding: Costs the tax payer money to store the damn things!

Fines: Doesn't really make the offenders learn that the offence is wrong.

[DANNY8]

Haven't the cops been clamping cars for ages? We've had 2 clamped for reasons u all know about, and that was like 2-3 months ago.

I wonder if they show officers how to use them....I know they aren't very sophisticated...but here's a pic of one of ours that got clamped. I had to leave when the cop put it on coz I couldn't stop laughing. The next day I saw her and told her (just so the cop to remove it didn't think we done anything dodgy), but she said she trusts us. I even told the cop about how the clamp would prolly come off if the person deflates their tyre, can't remember wat was said tho, they weren't to interested. Will only work with smaller wheels tho otherwise with big mags ya don't have enough movement in the deflated tyre.

[STEALTHY™]

LMAO, the idea of the circle plate is to cover the wheel nuts.


I still fail to see how that will stop someone going to upullit and buying another strut, and just leaving the strut and wheel with the clamp on it to the side!

[vlv8vic]

Crushing: Waste of a car, just because the drivers a tool doesn't mean the car needs to be destroyed.

Impounding: Costs the tax payer money to store the damn things!

Fines: Doesn't really make the offenders learn that the offence is wrong.

crushing: yep, waste of car and the offender will think twice about having it happen to his next car. also stops little johnny taking daddy's car to the rev limiter for fear of daddy losing has car to jaws.

Impound: was under the impression the 'hoon' is billed for this. Might be wrong.

Fines: get enough of them and you'll back off, or lose the car. It all adds up and if that creates even the slightest delay in re-offending then it has worked to some degree.

I'm interested in your alternatives, however.

[andyman]

So granny down the road thinks because you have an aftermarket exhaust that you are a street racing hoon and reports you, so your car gets crushed for "allegedly" street racing.

Not to mention the definition of "street racing" is too open, not very well defined so leaves so much room for exploitation.

I personally like this idea (once they prevent it from being removed). Will shame the offender and also prevent many problems of other solutions:

Crushing: Waste of a car, just because the drivers a tool doesn't mean the car needs to be destroyed.

Impounding: Costs the tax payer money to store the damn things!

Fines: Doesn't really make the offenders learn that the offence is wrong.

clearly you couldn't crush a person car for doing something allegedly, obviously you would need evidence, i.e video evidence, being caught by cops in the act. also its not like petty things like a 5m rip up a street or something similiar, street racing is what gets under my skin.

but seriously,

really what does clamping a tyre achieve? it disrupts a tool for 3 months and their back on the street clowning around again, if their car is taken off them, crushed and given back to them in a cube, at their own cost, they may think 'f***' there's 30k of car in a cube because i was a tool and put people in danger, ie street racing

[Low_VX_Taxi]

crushing: yep, waste of car and the offender will think twice about having it happen to his next car. also stops little johnny taking daddy's car to the rev limiter for fear of daddy losing has car to jaws.

These people are idiots, obviously they don't think of consequences (killing someone or dying) so why would they care if daddy has his car crushed until after its been done?

Impound: was under the impression the 'hoon' is billed for this. Might be wrong.

Not sure, if so makes it a more viable option.

Fines: get enough of them and you'll back off, or lose the car. It all adds up and if that creates even the slightest delay in re-offending then it has worked to some degree.

But it becomes more of a revenue raising option than a preventative measure. SOME cops will exploit it just like they do now plus most of these idiots are proud of fines. Had one guy on another forum (I left very quickly) bragging about how many he had and even stuck them on the wall like they were awards.....

clearly you couldn't crush a person car for doing something allegedly, obviously you would need evidence, i.e video evidence, being caught by cops in the act. also its not like petty things like a 5m rip up a street or something similiar, street racing is what gets under my skin.

Currently the laws are too open, something along the lines of two cars or more braking the speed limit or driving in a dangerous manner or there abouts. so if your 2km/h over the limit and some tool is racing past you in theory you are street racing.

really what does clamping a tyre achieve? it disrupts a tool for 3 months and their back on the street clowning around again, if their car is taken off them, crushed and given back to them in a cube, at their own cost, they may think 'f***' there's 30k of car in a cube because i was a tool and put people in danger, ie street racing

Agreed but until there is a clear definition on this law (not likely as they like exploiting this law currently quite a bit) its just too open to be abused so a lesser punishment is more viable.

[eurekamad94]

fckin hell impounding cars for burnouts gets on my nerves A BURNOUT HAS NEVER KILLED ANYONE sure it is a waste of tyres but what is the danger of it ??? its not the sort of thing i would do in a built up area / where people live cuz it leaves black marks on the road thats why there done in industrial estates i see nothing wrong with doin them there one of the guys up the road got shot a few days ago cuz he ****ed off one of his neighbors to the point that he broke from doing burnouts = STUPID

rant over

[Stressball]

fckin hell impounding cars for burnouts gets on my nerves A BURNOUT HAS NEVER KILLED ANYONE sure it is a waste of tyres but what is the danger of it ??? its not the sort of thing i would do in a built up area / where people live cuz it leaves black marks on the road thats why there done in industrial estates i see nothing wrong with doin them there one of the guys up the road got shot a few days ago cuz he ****ed off one of his neighbors to the point that he broke from doing burnouts = STUPID

rant over

Young drivers

The simple fact is, it IS against the law. Whether you agree with them or not, you abide by them, or choose to break them and face the consequences.

Also, I think if you look hard enough you will find that burnouts have killed people, by losing control. For example (and a very, VERY extreme one) the aussie top fuel driver in Texas who lost control of his funny car doing a burnout on the street, and killed 6 people. I'm aware normal cars don't have the same difficulty to control them, but the facts remain; while you have no traciton, you have less control over the car, and as such things can happen that you don't expect.

<EDIT> I see you're still in year 10 in QLD. I know you have a gokart, and I know they aren't simple things. But do you know what it's like to deliberately lose traction in a 1.5 ton piece of metal? Don't assume it's perfctly controllable all the time. There are variables.</EDIT>


As for the clamping, the only issue I have with this measure is that according to that article, it's all still only 'alleged' and they have been clamped already. I'd like to know exactly what proof they require before they clamp the car.

[STEALTHY™]

There is only one known fatality from a burnout that i know of, and that was a girl who was hit with the belts of a blown tyre at a LEGAL burnout comp, but was due to lack of fencing!


The scenario you mentioned is irrelevant. It was also (apparently) a controlled situation, and nothing to do with street burnouts.

[DANNY8]

I guess it depends on the individual, but I can tell u I've grown up a lot since being charged with a fair few hoon offenses. I still give my car shit through the gears, but haven't done a burnout in months, since all that other crap happened. So something has worked off on me. In a way I'm glad I got caught coz it has made me see things a lot differently. I haven't been to court yet, but I know I'm gonna be walking for a while....which will be another positive as most of u know I got a weight problem (no need for fat jokes).

The cops don't really need any evidence to impound or clamp ur car. All they need is a statement from a witness and they can take action.....even if the witness is full of crap.

Altho some burnouts are hardly dangerous, others are. I see people regularly fangin round corners goin sideways down the main street.....they are the ones which need the book thrown at them. Doing them in the industrial areas I don't think is a huge issue, but at the end of the day it's still illegal so if they get caught they gotta take it on the chin.

[Stressball]

There is only one known fatality from a burnout that i know of, and that was a girl who was hit with the belts of a blown tyre at a LEGAL burnout comp, but was due to lack of fencing!


The scenario you mentioned is irrelevant. It was also (apparently) a controlled situation, and nothing to do with street burnouts.

So was the situation you mentioned I would imagine, it being a legal competition. And technically it WAS a street burnout; it was a dragster on a street that had been closed off, with people standing on the sidewalk. Without safety barriers. HOORAH FOR POOR ORGANISATION. I am aware that it is very far from the same situation as someone in a commodore smoking the tyres a bit in a quiet backstreet. My point is, things can go wrong. Sure, doing it in an industrial estate with nobody and nothing around will greatly reduce the chances of injuries for anyone, and if you're going to break the law and do burnouts on the street, it's the best place for it.

That being said, it remains a hoon offence, and as such, if you do it on the roads, you had better be ready to face the consequences and not bitch and moan about it. (Directed at nobody in particular by the way, just anybody who does do burnouts on the street)

[eurekamad94]

that senario is completely irrelivent imo cuz that car
A had drag slicks - not ment for the road designed to run on rubber
B again suspension set up for rubber
C name a street car that has 2'500 hp and the bloke that owns it isnt best buds with the bloke at queensland transport

[tivoom]

this is a hard one you look at a p plater in a fineenced car showing off in front of the boys car gets inpounded for thee monthes then dose it again and gets it crushed not only is his paying the fines the lawer ect ect but still paying the car off plus getting to work the poor kid is working for the bills and you take a first year apprintce on $260 a week or even a fourth year on up to $650 a week its alot of money for stuffing up a few times im not saying go ezy on them just some laws are to over board ive learnt the hard way and im now bankrupt at 24 and trust me there are better ways to learn boys will be boys no matter what
there should be more places where you can do it legally and with guidence

[jas98]

well im up in QLD and while leaveing work tonight the wheels spun on me car as there was a zebra crossing there (no excuse i know) but there was a cop car sitting in the carpark (very dark) they flagged me down and he was kinnda a prick but anyway he said he was gonna take the car but has other things to do atm other wise he would have (as he and the other cop had someone else puled up in car park) it was only wheel spinning due to the crossing as i came out of it a little to quick (everyones wheel spins there)...there was no smoke as i wasnt doing a burnout (i refuse to do that even in controlled "legal" venues) its also where the trucks park to load the dock so there is also oil there.

i find it hard to belive he could have taken the car for me doing that? like it was just wheel spin due top zebra crossing ...i said that i hit the crossing to as i was stationary over it loooking for cars makeing sure no one was coming (has a blind spot at the corner so have to be careful) then as i accelerated i went a little to fquick... he went off saying he aint a ****ing idiot. i will be more careful now but yeh i wasn't doing a burnout or racing anyone or had any intention to spin the wheels (or wheel in my case).

can they take your car if it gets a bit of wheel spin on a zebra crossing i mean ****...even the cop i saw that came out of there today done the same that i did?

[jas98]

this is a hard one you look at a p plater in a fineenced car showing off in front of the boys car gets inpounded for thee monthes then dose it again and gets it crushed not only is his paying the fines the lawer ect ect but still paying the car off plus getting to work the poor kid is working for the bills and you take a first year apprintce on $260 a week or even a fourth year on up to $650 a week its alot of money for stuffing up a few times im not saying go ezy on them just some laws are to over board ive learnt the hard way and im now bankrupt at 24 and trust me there are better ways to learn boys will be boys no matter what
there should be more places where you can do it legally and with guidence

fair enough boys will be boys but drag racing at 200+kph.....dangerous driving causing death.....i dont think the judge of or the victims family is gonna see it as "boys being boys" id see it as boys being **** heads behind the wheel not haveing any respect for anyone eles except them self.

i do agree some are way over the top (the laws) but when u see so many ********s driving getting warned/fined more then once for the same thing and still repeat, how else are they gonna learn?

[tivoom]

y do boys do it on the roads?????

[sway9]

while you have no traciton, you have less control over the car, and as such things can happen that you don't expect.

no incorrect i dont care how many drifters try to tell me if you have no traction you have NO control of the car what so ever you are in theory a missle

this is a hard one you look at a p plater in a fineenced car showing off in front of the boys car gets inpounded for thee monthes then dose it again and gets it crushed not only is his paying the fines the lawer ect ect but still paying the car off plus getting to work the poor kid is working for the bills and you take a first year apprintce on $260 a week or even a fourth year on up to $650 a week its alot of money for stuffing up a few times im not saying go ezy on them

NO ok im 19 im almost a 2nd year apprentice and im earning 300 dollars a week. im paying off a credit card debt of just over 1600 bux im payin off a car which currently stands at 6500 bux and im being taken to court by my old real estate which is gona cost me more. every week i pay my credit card my insurance my car pay for board pay for petrol pay for food and make sure i save i have also spent roughly 3500 bux on my car in the last 4-5 months if these richardheads cant get it thro their thick skulls then they should have to suffer the consequences. *end rant*

[tivoom]

*start rant* i never once said give them a slap on the wrist i never said go ezy on them what my point was crushing cars is not going to help any one there are other ways of stoping laws like this give people places to do burn outs and race under controlled safe conditions

In newcastle about 8 or so years ago we had a burn out pad at the motordrome every saturday night 100's of car would show up blow a few tyers and leave happy they had impressed there mate and didnt get a fine and no one got hurt even victor bray attended a few time to show them how the big boys do it then once the owners sold it and turned it in to a industreal estate every one went back to kooragang island on public roads doing the same old unsafe stuff so tell me how would you fix the problem if you could

A bring in laws so tuff you can only drive you mums 121 with out any modes

B buy a few blockes of land in the outskirts off most hoon spot towns and suppervise and invite "hoons" to come and show off to there mates were no one gets killed, loses there licence or there cars

have a think and tell me what you would do