Antihooning

Antihooning refers to laws and policies designed to deter hooning, a term used to describe dangerous, antisocial driving such as street racing, burnouts, wheel spins, drifting, or other displays of excessive speed. The objective is to reduce road hazards, noise, and property damage and to address the safety risks these behaviours pose to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and nearby communities. Although the term is most closely associated with Australia, comparable measures exist in other countries under different names.

In Australian states and territories, antihooning legislation typically authorizes police to seize or impound vehicles involved in hooning, issue fines, and impose license or vehicle-ownership restrictions. Offences may be triggered by specific acts (for example, burnouts or illegal street racing) or by a history of prior hooning offences. Penalties commonly include fines, vehicle confiscation for a set period, and, in some cases, permanent forfeiture or long-term bans on ownership or registration.

Enforcement combines routine policing with dedicated antihooning units, impound yards, and public education campaigns. Some jurisdictions maintain databases of hooning convictions to inform enforcement and sentencing. Supporters argue that the measures are necessary to reduce risk and curb repeat incidents; critics say they can be punitive, sometimes affect innocent owners, and rely on criteria that may be difficult to apply consistently. Policy evaluations continue to assess effectiveness, fairness, and impact on communities.