Anti-hoon laws give police the power to remove vehicles from unsafe drivers. Police Life found out what happens to the seized cars.
A man is pacing outside an office reception in an industrial area of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, occasionally pausing to drag on a cigarette. Those unknown to him may consider him anxious and worried, but to the staff he was dealing with earlier inside, he is simply “a hoon” who is struggling to cope with the consequences of a shameful title.
The VISU depot at Preston accommodates about 800 impounded vehicles in a covered, secured area about 20 per cent bigger than the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in addition to 200 other cars in 64 regional depots across Victoria. These cars are all types and models, from an unregistered, unroadworthy, early model Toyota Corolla at best worth $50, to a Lamborghini, Ferrari or McLaren valued at $800,000.
Two mates brought him to the Victoria Police Vehicle Impoundment Support Unit (VISU) to retrieve his car where he is contemplating the payment of a required fee, just over $900, after venting his anger towards its administrative staff.
Vehicle impoundments are part of anti-hoon legislation introduced in Victoria in 2006, to make roads safer and reduce road trauma by giving police the power to impound, immobilise or permanently confiscate cars driven in a dangerous manner.
VISU manager Kevin Wilson explains that most people his staff deal with typically won’t behave in this way, although they are prepared to deal with such cases and occasionally will be reminded of the extent of a person’s anger.
A driver committing a hoon-related offence initially could have their vehicle impounded for 48 hours but changes to the legislation in 2011 increased this to 30 days, regardless of who owns the vehicle.
“In June 2016, a volley of shots was fired from the street towards the building in a drive-by shooting that happened around midnight, when fortunately there was no one in the front office,” he said.
Changes to these road rules also revealed culprits are not typically confined to young, audacious drivers. An 81-year-old woman was clocked driving at 164 km/h in her Holden Vectra near Lake Boga, and a 70-year-old farmer was caught speeding at 160 km/h near Horsham.
Further changes to the Road Safety Act in 2015 meant anyone driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 or higher could automatically have their vehicle seized and if the same driver accrued three hoon-related offences in six years, their vehicle could be permanently forfeited. More than 52,000 vehicles have been impounded in Victoria since 2006, with the VISU currently processing about 7,000 annually, including 200 which are permanently seized or forfeited. “There’s a perception that most vehicles that are impounded are crushed but that is not what actually happens,” Mr Wilson said. “Every car that comes through VISU must go through an assessment process including identifying its NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) safety rating and if it’s not a high figure, or a collectable, then the vehicle will likely be destroyed.” Those earmarked for destruction are more likely to be shredded at a metal recycling depot despite the common misconception they are ‘crushed’. Almost 1,600 vehicles were in this category last year.
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POLICE LIFE | SUMMER 2018