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Anti-hoon laws are about making roads safer and reducing road trauma. They were introduced in Victoria in July 2006 to give police the power to impound, immobilise or permanently confiscate vehicles driven by people in a dangerous manner.

From 1 July 2011, the anti-hoon laws provide that if police have reasonable grounds for believing a driver has committed a hoon-related offence, they have the power to seize that vehicle and impound or immobilise it for 30 days (increased from 48 hours). A vehicle may be impounded or immobilised, regardless of who owns it and whether the driver is the registered operator.

The changes that became law on 1 July, 2011 also include a new, more serious category of offences that include:

• a repeat offence of unlicensed driving
• driving at 70 km/h or more over the speed limit
• a repeat offence of driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or higher
• a repeat offence of driving with more than the prescribed concentration of drugs in the person's blood or oral fluid.
• Any driver committing a second hoon-related offence within three years may have their vehicle impounded for up to three months.

If a person is found guilty of three hoon-related offences inside three years, their vehicle can be permanently forfeited by the court. Upon such a court order being granted, these vehicles can then be disposed of in a manner determined by the Chief Commissioner of Police. If the forfeited vehicle is sold by the State of Victoria, the proceeds from the sale will be retained by the State of Victoria. Alternatively, the vehicle may be crushed or otherwise disposed of by police.

In addition to the seizure or forfeiture of the vehicle, if found guilty of a hoon driving offence, the courts can impose a fine of up to 240 penalty units (in excess of $28,000) and/or a period of imprisonment of up to two years. The driver will also incur any demerit points and/or licence loss penalties applying to the underlying offence.

For more information on the hoon laws and vehicle impoundment, please see the VicRoads website.

Crime Stoppers Hoon Hotline

Reports of hoon driving help Victoria Police target repeat offenders and focus on specific locations.

If you know the identity of a hoon driver, have knowledge of hoon driving activity, or are able to provide a description of vehicles involved (make, model, colour, registration number) you can report this to Crime Stoppers without revealing your own identity.

Contact the Crime Stoppers Hoon Hotline on 1800 333 000 or report it online at www.vic.crimestoppers.com.au