Hoons hunted down

ALMOST 50 Casey hoons have had their cars impounded for 30 days during the first three months of tougher police laws.
City of Casey is the third highest Police Service Area (PSA) for the amount of vehicles impounded since new laws began on 1 July which gave police the power to immediately impound vehicles for 30 days, a significant increase on the previous two-day period.
Police impounded 44 cars in the City of Casey.
Brimbank had the highest with 86 vehicles impounded and Hume had the second highest with 47 vehicles impounded.
Across the state, 1038 vehicles have been banished to an impoundment yard for 30 days under the new hoon laws.
Head of Road Policing Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said the results should send a strong message to drivers.
“More than 1000 motorists have already felt the impact of tough new impoundment laws, losing their vehicle for a minimum 30 days,” he said.
“This should serve as a warning that police are 100 per cent committed to getting hoon and dangerous drivers off the road.
The top offence was for driving while disqualified/suspended, with 310 impoundments.
There were 240 cars impounded because the driver had an excessive speed more than 45km/h.
Mr Walshe said speed remained a strong focus for police.
“All up, 294 vehicles have been impounded for excessive speed. Of those, 54 were travelling in excess of 70km,” Mr Walsh said.
“This is outrageous behaviour on the state’s roads and places not only these motorists at risk, but other innocent road users.
“Speed is attributed to about 30 per cent of fatal collisions on Victorian roads, and police will continue to enforce speed limits in all areas of our roads.”
From July 2006 to 30 September, there has been 448 impoundments in the City of Casey, making it the eighth highest Police Service Area (PSA) for impoundments across the state.