Crunch time for hoons

The tough anti street-racing law is in place in California, along with measures such as seizing cars, night curfews for minors, higher fines and arresting drivers and spectators.

Police there say the laws have cut the number of illegal races and lowered the road toll.

Southern California, where illegal street racing has been prevalent for decades, has the toughest policies in the US.

Rialto Police Department traffic superintendent Chris Heiss said Australian authorities should crush the hotted-up vehicles to send a strong message to offenders, who are usually young men.

“This is what makes them stop, when you destroy their cars,” Cpl Heiss said yesterday.

“These young kids are scraping their money together to put into their main asset, and some of them break down when they see their car being crushed.”

Last weekend, 185 people and 85 vehicles were detained by California's Drag-Net Regional Taskforce at an early morning race in a deserted street in Ontario, an industrial city of about 160,000 people.

Police arrested 10 people on suspicion of illegal racing, impounded 16 cars and charged 18 people for illegally modifying their emission systems.

When they face court they could be fined $3000 and will probably lose their licences for at least six months.

During the operation, which came after a five-week undercover investigation, police charged 171 people at the scene for being spectators, which carries a $120 fine. Among those nabbed were 37 juveniles, charged with violating a 10pm curfew for people under 18.

Taskforce spokesman Jeff Higbee, of Ontario police, said Australian authorities should increase penalties if they wanted to stop street racing.

Cpl Higbee said the death toll from street racing in Ontario county had dropped since the taskforce was formed.

Queensland authorities have confiscated thousands of cars since tough anti-hooning laws were imposed five years ago.

First-time offenders have their vehicles impounded for 48 hours, while they are taken away for three months if the driver is caught twice and permanently for three separate infringements.

Should Australia follow California's tough street-racing laws?