Hoons flaut laws

by Samantha Shafran

April 28, 2008

YOUNG guys say WA’s anti-hoon laws make them “think twice” before driving dangerously, but that’s about it.

Gresh (surname withheld) believes the laws are not harsh enough to deter him from driving how he wants.

“The fear of getting your car impounded for 48 hours doesn’t scare me off,” he said. “But when the penalties get worse, that’s what’s scary.”

He said if his car were impounded once then he wouldn’t hoon again, but until that happens he won’t change his driving. He thinks people don’t know how severe the penalties are for repeat offenders, so better education should be implemented.

Asked if he believed the laws were harsh enough, traffic enforcement cop Senior Constable Mark Polizzi said it was not his opinion, but that of the public that counted, as the public changes laws.

 “On duty our personal opinion is inappropriate,” Snr Constable Polizzi said. “We are enforcing the law and have to be seen as being unbiased.”

Gresh thinks that other things could be done to curb hoon behaviour on the road. He said he’d hoon on a track but “it’s too expensive” to do that after you pay for the upkeep of your car.