MELBOURNE, VIC. — Police are relentlessly putting the brakes on some of Victoria’s most prolific hoon offenders, with more than 1300 arrested in a single year.
New Crime Statistics Agency figures show this resulted in 3517 charges in the year to March 2026.
Recently, police impounded a white four-wheel-drive for hoon driving offences after the driver allegedly performed numerous burnouts in parkland at Bundoora, causing significant damage. The vehicle then allegedly struck a traffic sign and collided with a parked car.
A 21-year-old Watsonia North man was interviewed by police and is expected to be charged on summons. The man was also served with a notice to surrender his vehicle. The vehicle was surrendered to police earlier this month and has been impounded for 30 days.
Last month, police were called to dismantle a hoon event outside a shopping centre in Mill Park – resulting in a 20-year-old man from Bundoora being interviewed. He is expected to be charged.
Police also interviewed four men for hoon-related offending after dismantling a hoon event in Mill Park in June.
The four men, two of them aged 27 from Bundoora and South Morang, as well as a 22-year-old from Epping and a 26-year-old from the Northern Territory, are all expected to be charged.
Police are continuing to investigate a hoon event in Mickleham which saw a number of vehicles and more than 100 spectators congregate at the intersection of Aitken Boulevard and Eclipse Drive on July 11.
A male pedestrian was struck by a white Ford Falcon sedan conducting a burnout at the event, causing the pedestrian to be flung a considerable distance. He suffered sustained injuries.
The horrific incident was recorded by bystanders and subsequently uploaded to several social media platforms – with investigators seeking assistance from the public to identify the driver of the white Ford Falcon.
This offending is of significant concern to the force, which is why frontline police and Highway Patrol units are continuing to work tirelessly to detect and deter any hoon driving activity and make arrests to keep dangerous drivers off the state’s roads.
This includes patrolling known hotspots and targeting organised hoon meets.
Police also monitor and share intelligence among hoons to ensure officers are deployed in the right places at the right time to stop the offending. It means police can make arrests there and then and seize vehicles on the spot.
If police are unable to make arrests at the time of a hoon event, an investigation will follow.
It will only be a matter of time before those participating, inciting or spectating receive a knock.
This also includes individuals found by police in hoon driving event videos.
Victoria Police’s Highway Patrol fleet is using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to proactively identify vehicles of interest.
The technology is capable of scanning more than 8500 vehicles every hour.
Police also hold regular statewide and local proactive operations to target hoon behaviour and keep the roads safe.
Hoon drivers can face a range of serious charges including reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, driving in a dangerous manner causing serious injury, dangerous driving while pursued by police, driving at dangerous speed and careless driving.
Anyone who witnesses hoon activity as it is occurring should call Triple Zero (000).
Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
