Spring could be a crushing time for some riders in the Sunshine State.
Pop a wheelie or do a burnout in Queensland and your bike could be confiscated for 90 days – the toughest anti-hoon penalty in Oz.
Do it again in the next five years and your bike could be sold or crushed. No third strike rule there. Two strikes and you’re out!
Other hoon activities include street racing and evading police.
How does this compare with the police states of Victoria and NSW which have previously claimed a crackdown on hoons?
Well, Victoria upped the anti-hoon ante in 2011 when they increased the confiscation period for first offences from 48 hours to 30 days. Score three strikes in three years and your vehicle can be sold or crushed.
By comparison NSW is a hoon paradise: Police can confiscate your number plates on the spot or impound your vehicle for three months for street racing and burnouts, but owners can apply to the courts for an early release. Repeat offenders can lose their vehicle permanently.
The new Queensland penalties are expected to take effect in September or October and a hoon hotline has been set up. (Do you really want to know the number? Ok, it’s 13HOON or 134666. Note the last three numbers. Coincidence? We think not!)
BTW: All wheelies conducted under controlled conditions!