Why Gladstone people are dobbing in hoons

Police figures show more than 700 calls were made to the Hoon Hotline last year.

More than 22,000 calls were made the Hoon Hotline across Queensland last year. Picture: Thinkstock

GLADSTONE residents are dobbing in hundreds of hoons a year - and the region's traffic police boss says many complaints are about speedsters in suburban streets.

Queensland Police Service figures reveal 737 calls were made to the Hoon Hotline in the Capricornia district last year.

Calliope Road Policing Unit officer in charge Senior Sergeant Shaune English said they received a lot of reports about speeding in residential areas.

"The majority of them are relating to speed," he said.

Snr Sgt English said tip-offs to the hotline were valuable as "the more they call the more we know" and the more detail provided, the better.

"Time, dates, location and days and especially if you have registration numbers or any footage you may collect on a smartphone," he said.

He said police needed specific information to follow up on complaints.

"It's very hard when we get a report that they're doing it in this location all the time; because when we go there they're not," he said.

"If you can say it's Friday night between 1am and 1.30am they're in the same spot doing this, it makes us easier for us to target specific complaints."

His message to road users is to think about potential consequences of their actions.

"There's always the safety aspect," Snr Sgt English said.

"I've seen quite a few crashes over the years where people thought they were in control doing burnouts and cars have crashed into poles and pedestrians.

"Then there's the immediate consequences; if we actually catch you doing burnouts and the like we're going to take your car for 90 days - that's for a first offence."

RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie said hooning was a road safety and antisocial behaviour issue.

Ms Ritchie said immaturity played a "huge part" in hooning and they typically saw a decrease in offending when people grew up.

She said the Hoon Hotline relied on the public to help crack down on the problem.

"People in regional areas do need to report these sorts of offences, particularly if they are causing a nuisance to your friends and family," she said.

More than 22,000 calls were made to the hotline 13HOON (134666) across Queensland last year.

- NewsRegional

CARS CRACKDOWN

• Queensland introduced anti-hooning laws in 2013 carrying tough impoundment penalties.
• Hooning offences are broken into two categories.
• Type 1 offences include dangerous driving, burnouts, street racing and evading police.
• For a first Type 1 offence the vehicle can be impounded or immobilised for 90 days. For a second offence within five years it can be confiscated.
• Type 2 offences include driving an uninsured and unregistered vehicle, high-range speeding and non-compliance with vehicle standards and safety regulations.
• For a first Type 2 offence, the driver will not lose the vehicle but on a second it will be impounded or immobilised for seven days and for 90 days on a third. Vehicles can be forfeited on a fourth offence.
• Drivers pay towing and storage costs.