Acting Sergeant of the Casey Traffic Management Unit Mal Marsden said police would be clamping down on dragsters and hoons.By Rebecca Fraser
BURNOUTS, donuts, fish tailing and other hoon acts could soon become a thing of the past in Casey as police clamp down on dragsters.
The new police blitz also follows tough new laws introduced into State Parliament last week.
Drivers caught dragracing, performing ‘burnouts’ or engaging in other dangerous acts will now face having their cars impounded, immobilised or permanently confiscated.
Acting Sergeant of Casey Traffic Management Unit Mal Marsden said police would be stepping up their patrols in the look out for dragsters and hoons over the next few weeks.
He said hoon drivers had recently hit the industrial estates in Hallam hard and the bitumen had been permanently blackened with burnout marks.
“In general hooning has been around for years and the drivers are very well organised and they hit an area in five minutes and then leave.
“Regular crowds are forming but most are not from within the area,” he said.
Act Sgt Mal Marsden said the induction of new police car radios next year would also help police stamp out unruly and dangerous driving.
“These guys know what they are doing. At the moment they scan us with their mobiles (phones) and other equipment but with the new radios they won’t be able to.
“There will now be a real clamp down on local drag racing,” he said.
Sergeant Pat McGavigan of Casey’s Traffic Management Unit said the new legislation and police patrols sent a clear message to local dragsters that their behaviour would not be tolerated.
“Last night (Thursday) a group had gathered in the Hallam industrial estates and tickets were given for various offences.
“We support the legislation and I think it will be a good deterrent for unsociable and dangerous behaviour.
“It tells people that if they keep it up they will lose their cars and if they do it again they will lose their cars again,” he said.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said the laws would apply to hoon drivers, reckless speeders and repeat ‘drive whilst disqualified’ offenders and would help make the streets safer for all Casey residents.
“Hoons love their cars, and they put a great deal of money and energy into them. This tough new legislation will hit them where it hurts – by taking away their wheels,” he said.
He also said that first time offenders would have their cars impounded or immobilised for 48 hours.
People caught a second time faced losing their cars for up to three months, while drivers convicted of a third or subsequent offence would have their cars seized permanently.
The decision to immobilise (that is, wheelclamp) a car or impound it will be made by police.
“The new legislation will prohibit intentionally driving a motor vehicle in a manner that causes it to undergo loss of traction,” Mr Donnellan said.
Other offences for which drivers face car impoundment or confiscation include exceeding the speed limit by 45 km/h or more, engaging in a race or speed trial and dangerous driving.
The antihoon driving regime will come into effect on July 1 next year.
