WA Police catch three alleged hoons just 24 hours after summit was held to address road toll

As WA grapples with the highest death toll in nearly a decade the number of cars impounded for hooning offences this year is on course to be double the five-year average. In the first eight months of this year, 1220 cars have been seized from alleged hoons already. That equates to 152 cars a month — twice as many as the 76 impounded on average over the last five years. And to make matters worse, in the 24 hours after an emergency summit into the State’s horror road toll a fortnight ago — police arrested three alleged hoons in separate incidents. One of those is accused of hitting speeds of 188km/h. Police chiefs have been left astounded by the spike in reckless speeding offences in recent months — which soared to 168 in August — especially given the summit on September 2 to address the crisis on our roads. The emergency meeting was attended by a range of police and government officials, including Commissioner Col Blanch as well as those directly affected by road trauma. The father of Nick Campo — the 18-year-old killed in a car crash in July — was also among those to attend the summit. But in the immediate aftermath of the unprecedented meeting, police made three hooning arrests — illustrating the scale of the problem on the roads. The first hoon was caught just after midnight on September 3, when a 21-year-old man was clocked driving a Subaru Liberty at 147km/h along Leach Highway in Kewdale. He has been charged with reckless driving and is due to face court next week. The second alleged speedster was caught just a couple of hours later, at 2.45am, when police clocked him driving a Mazda 3 sedan along Kwinana Freeway in Wandi at 188km/h. The Baldivis man, 21, was also later alleged to have stolen fuel while driving the Mazda on two separate occasions. He faces charges of reckless driving, stealing and no authority to drive offences in court next month. The third alleged offender is accused of speeding at 141km/h just before 8.30pm the same day. Police will allege a 30-year-old Dayton man was behind the wheel of the BMW sedan clocked at 61 km/h over the speed limit when he was spotted on Drumpellier Drive in Brabham. He too has been charged with reckless driving and will also face court next month. All three cars have been impounded under hoon laws that give police power to seize cars of reckless drivers for at least 28 days. Commissioner Blanch told The West the hooning incidents were a clear sign driver behaviour had to change for the better. “It’s disappointing that just a day after the road safety summit, that was aimed at reducing the unnecessary loss of lives on our roads, three people were caught travelling at almost double the speed limit,” Mr Blanch said. “Not only are these hoons putting themselves at risk by driving so recklessly, but also risking the lives of others. “Clearly the message that speed kills is not getting through to everyone, and driver behaviour has to change.” WA’s top traffic cop, Commander Mike Bell, agreed. “It’s disappointing to see a continuing increase in hoon-related speeding incidents on our roads, especially at a time when road deaths are so high,” he said. “People who choose to speed are putting their lives in danger and those of other road users.” WA’s road toll currently sits at 128 – 23 more than this time last year. WA’S HOONING SHAME BY THE NUMBERS: Number of cars caught by speed cameras travelling 45km/h over the speed limit in August 2024, compared to July 2024. Number of hoon vehicle impoundments so far in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Rate of hoon vehicle impoundments compared to the five-year average.