More than 150 drivers accused of taking part in illegal hoon gatherings across Greater Dandenong were requested by police to surrender their cars for roadworthy checks at Dandenong Showgrounds on Thursday 21 August.
The large-scale police operation follows a car meet on July 21 in a Dandenong industrial estate, where burnouts were allegedly performed just metres from spectators.
Officers said the group dispersed when police arrived, but Automatic Numberplate Recognition Technology recorded dozens of licence plates.
Investigators also tracked down several drivers after some allegedly posted footage of their stunts on social media.
Acting Senior Sergeant Shaun Tolliday from Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol said, “that intelligence and those videos have formed a big part of our investigation, and getting these people before the courts.”
Police then issued official defect notices, ordering owners to present their vehicles for inspection.
“We want to tell these hoon drivers, the organisers, participants and spectators of these events not to attend them, and if they do attend these locations and these events, that they will be spoken to by police,” said Sergeant Tolliday.
He warned the behaviour placed lives at risk.
“Some of the intel and footage that we’ve seen have shown some really dangerous and high-risk driving…and this is just putting themselves, the drivers and the rest of the public in serious danger of serious injury or even death,” he said.
“At this stage, we’ve already had one vehicle that will be taken on a tow truck because the deficiencies of the vehicle … were that unsafe to be driven at all from this area,” Acting Sen-Sgt Tolliday said.
The vehicle referenced had a multitude of defects including a cracked windscreen, no back brake pads, and a differential deemed unfit for Victorian roads.
But the driver whose vehicle was grounded today said the crackdown unfairly targeted car enthusiasts.
“The amount of effort I’m going to have to put into putting this back on the road is a joke. More than double what the car’s worth.”
The man, a mechanic, who said cars had long been his hobby, described the loss as devastating.
“I’m not even wasting my time putting it back on the road at this point. I’ll lose motivation on it now,” he said.
“It’s my pride and joy but is it worth spending three or four grand on it, just to have the same thing happen again?”
He said his girlfriend’s car was also defected for being too low, something he believed was unfair.
“The ground where they measured it was uneven. Where my wheel stopped, it was in a ditch, so of course it was going to hit my car.”
The man said he understood the need for safety but insisted he would never drive an unsafe car.
“I wouldn’t drive a car that’s not safe. That’s my life, even if no one’s in my car. I’m not going to risk my own life and potentially others at the same time,” he said.
Police warned that anyone failing to comply with defect notices will have their vehicle impounded.
