Hooning

Apprehension

Council does not have the powers or resources to apprehend or investigate hooning. This is done by Victoria Police.

Due to the significant increase in hooning across the whole of the Greater Metropolitan Area, the police have been running a large state-wide operation called Operation Achilles (there are quite a bit of information and media articles about this online).  This operation has seen numerous offenders arrested and vehicles seized as part of police operations within the area associated with these offences.

The most appropriate action residents can do to support the police is to report hooning activity.  You can report any dangerous driving or hoon activity to your local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or  https://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/report-a-crime

Council working with police

Council has been working with the Victorian Police to address the issue of hooning throughout the municipality.  While enforcement of this behaviour is led by the police, who have the authority to undertake such activities, Council’s assistance has involved:

• Provision of data and intelligence to improve enforcement efficiency
• Alterations to local by-laws to allow police to book spectators at hoon gatherings
• Support in securing funding for additional mobile CCTV trailers
• Installation of overnight parking restrictions in locations where large gatherings are taking place
• Advocacy to the Victorian Government for increased resourcing to address the increase in hooning in the region.

Hooning fact sheet

Traffic management

Council conducts surveys of roads.  Upon receiving the results of these surveys, the road is included in the council’s Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) program. This program is utilised by the council to prioritise road safety matters raised by the public. Each street in the program is assessed based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to; vehicle speeds, traffic volumes, accident records, road geometry and proximity to pedestrian activity areas. Road safety infrastructure is added to locations where the greatest road safety benefits will be realised. This method of ranking and prioritisation ensures that the streets experiencing the most severe traffic conditions are allocated the highest priority for the installation of traffic management devices with the limited funds available.

While it is acknowledged that a few motorists drive at excessive speeds, the council does not install traffic calming devices only to deter hoon or antisocial drivers, as this merely relocates the problems as opposed to eliminating them. As such, this behaviour is best addressed by enforcement. I advise you to continue to contact the police via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Any information will allow police to build a profile of the area for more effective patrolling.

Treatments are funded through Council’s Local Area Traffic Management Prioritisation Program, which allocates the limited funding for road safety infrastructure to the locations where the greatest road safety benefits will be realised. This is achieved by assessing against a range of criteria including traffic data, road design and function, crash statistics and proximity to activity generators.

When it comes to road safety matters, relevant road authorities, such as Council or VicRoads, are not required to seek approval from representative bodies to undertake safety improvement works.

Instead, Council liaises with local residents, particularly those located adjacent to any proposed treatments, to ensure the treatments do not adversely impact on property access.

As with all changes to the road network, motorists will need to adjust their usual driving habits and behaviours to ensure they can negotiate the treatments safely (which is the main purpose of the traffic calming treatments). We are very confident that the treatments being installed will improve road safety for all road users, as similar treatments have been implemented with great success at other locations across the road network. Council continues to monitor these treatments after they are installed.

Any proposed traffic calming needs to consider larger vehicles, which may be transporting heavy loads.  Therefore, any vertical displacement devices such as humps and/or raised platforms are not an option, as they can damage the cargo the trucks may be carrying.

https://www.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/parking-roads-and-transport/road-safety