SA hit by TikTok trend encouraging drivers to hit highest speeds possible

A driver films his speedo creeping above 200km/h as he flies down a public road – it’s just one example in a series of videos forming a startling trend in SA.

A worrying trend has emerged on social media in which SA drivers are filming themselves performing wild car stunts, driving at extreme speeds and encouraging others to do the same.

The trend has seen Police Minister Joe Szakacs label the perpetrators “selfish idiots”, while SA Police have revealed more than one charge has been laid every day for extreme speeding since new hoon laws came into effect last year.

The video content, which SA Police is “proactively investigating” and monitoring, has been circulating widely on TikTok for months and torrents of clips from several users are consistently posted.

A recent video from one user, who The Advertiser has chosen not to name to avoid copycat behaviour, asks other drivers what the top speed they recorded in 2022 was.

The post has more than 200 responses with 76 of those comments claiming to have hit speeds well in excess of 200.

Several videos show drivers travelling at more than 200km/h. Picture: TikTok

A TikTok user films himself while his speedo reads almost 220km/h. He is travelling alongside another person. Picture: TikTok

An Adelaide based TikTok user asks what everybody's top speeds were in 2022. Picture: TikTok

Several more videos linked to followers of car groups in SA and with profiles stating the user lives in the state show drivers performing burnouts and doughnuts, and filming themselves as their vehicle’s speedometer soars above the speed limit.

Most videos viewed by The Advertiser were accompanied with references to “private roads” or “private roads in Mexico” - a typical calling sign associated with the infamous car group “Mexican Hoon Cartel”.

One of the more alarming videos, of which it is unclear where it was filmed, shows a Holden’s speedometer maxing out at 220km/h while sparks fly from the rims of the rear wheels.

Two more clips strike at the brazenness of the hoons, with one captioned “I don’t need my licence, I just need my car keys” and another highlighting a carpark at the Port Adelaide docks before zooming in and showing cars performing dangerous stunts.

A TikTok spokeswoman said the social media giant was reviewing several of the videos to determine if they breached community guidelines.

“The safety of the TikTok community is our highest priority,” she said.

“In addition to our own teams and sophisticated systems, we also work with key stakeholders, such as law enforcement agencies and are committed to taking action where necessary.”

Most videos are free from TikTok instated alerts saying “participating in this activity could result in you or others getting hurt”.

The emergence of the trend comes as a South Australian magistrate claims the state is in the grips of a “spate of high-speed driving” despite being five months on from the introduction of tough hoon driving laws targeting extreme speeders.

Figures released by SA Police indicate more than one charge a day has been laid since those laws were introduced, with 138 slammed down in just 134 days.

Police Minister Joe Szakacs. Picture: Matt Loxton

Of those 138 charges, 77 people have been arrested and 61 reported.

There were 36 extreme speeding charges with 25 of those drivers issued an instant licence disqualification.

Police Minister Szakacs was brutal in his assessment of those who continued to flout the state’s road rules.

“Not only are they selfish idiots, hoons are a menace on the roads and their presence can pose a very real threat to all road users,” he said.

“The (new law) consequences are very real.

“If you hoon you will be caught and you will pay the price – be it a loss of license, impound of your vehicle or even jail time.”