Hoons face seizure laws
MARIA RAE
November 14, 2008 08:10am
TASMANIAN speedsters and dangerous drivers may have their cars seized from next year.
The State Government hopes to bring in laws to empower police to confiscate cars at their discretion.
It would extend the anti-hooning legislation that allows for cars to be impounded for up to seven days.
Police Minister Jim Cox and Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges have referred the idea to the Road Safety Council for urgent consideration.
If the council agrees with the recommendation, the ministers want to bring in legislation immediately.
Mr Cox said recent cases in which drivers were speeding up to 60km/h over the speed limit had highlighted the need for tougher action.
"You can go out and say to someone, 'You'll get a $250 fine', but some of these people see it as a badge of honour," he said.
"If you take their car off them, they see it as an embarrassment.
"If people have no regard for the law, we need to devise another way to make them take notice."
He said more thought was needed on how to keep the seized vehicles, and he would consider handing that responsibility to private tender.
Mr Cox is discussing the matter with police and is confident Parliament will support the move.
"It would be another tool in the box for road safety," he said.
"I'm hoping it would be agreed to."
The recommendation would apply to both licensed and unlicensed drivers.
Opposition police spokesman Rene Hidding said his party for a long time had had a policy to extend the anti-hooning laws.
"A driver caught doing extreme speeds would have their car confiscated for 28 days after the first offence, 42 days after the second offence within three years and could lose their vehicle permanently if caught doing extreme speeds three times within three years," he said.
"Under this Liberal plan, the Government would contract out the removal, storage and redemption of those vehicles seized so as to ensure the police are not tied up with the administrative duties as they are now." |