Thousands of South Australian hoons dobbed in to Traffic Watch for dangerous and reckless driving

Thousands of public complaints helped drive dangerous motorists off the road, it can be revealed, as figures show how many have been arrested.

Hoon drivers have prompted at least 40,000 complaints to police in the past five years, culminating in dozens of unsafe “idiots” being taken off South Australian roads, new figures reveal.

SA Police documents show 107 dangerous and reckless motorists lost their licence, or had vehicles impounded or defected, as a result of public tip-offs to Traffic Watch.

Among the fed-up civilians taking a stand against hoons were 12 people who each submitted reports on more than five occasions in the past year alone.

The Advertiser also can reveal police have made 70,084 traffic-related arrests in the past five years.

Traffic Watch was launched in 2007 to help police improve road safety by determining the allocation of patrols and safety cameras and identifying drug and alcohol testing sites.

The dob-in-a-hoon hotline was expanded in October 2019, when police launched the Traffic Watch app, which allows users to immediately provide details about unsafe driving.

Figures obtained by the Opposition under Freedom of Information laws show 115,486 reports to Traffic Watch were received between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2020.

But SA Police said under the old system, which was replaced in 2019-20, information could be triplicated as there were multiple recording methods.

There were 113,708 reports made to the old system and – based on a triplication of each – this would result in a minimum of 37,903 complaints. The new system recorded 1778 tip-offs.

Police respond by either sending a patrol, launching an investigation – from no action being taken to a report, fine or arrest – or sending the motorist a cautionary letter.

The figures show 107 hoon drivers either lost their licence or had vehicles impounded or defected. There were also 33 arrests, 898 cautions and 736 reports.

A hoon driver who left tyre marks at Athelstone. Picture: Anna Leombruno

Opposition police spokesman Lee Odenwalder said Traffic Watch – introduced by the former Labor government – helped police crack down on hoons putting road users’ lives at risk.

“These long-term figures tell a great story about the police working with the community,” Mr Odenwalder said.

“Our police do a remarkable job keeping us safe on our roads. As the system has evolved, more and more people feel empowered to complain to police about these dangerous idiots and the results speak for themselves.”

In a shocking case of reckless behaviour, a driver with eight unrestrained children in a ute tray was filmed by onlookers travelling through the water at North Beach, Wallaroo, on Monday.

Officers tracked down the Para Hills man, 29, at Port Hughes on Tuesday and issued him with a $1313 fine and five demerit points.

Two drivers have been fined over a reckless beach joyride at Wallaroo, where a ute was seen carrying eight children in its tray unrestrained.

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A police spokeswoman said road safety was everyone’s responsibility and Traffic Watch provided an important component in keeping South Australians safe.

“Police cannot be everywhere at all times so we encourage the public to report unsafe driving practices to us … online via the Traffic Watch system or calling 131 444 if police attendance is required,” the spokeswoman said.

“All road users – be they pedestrians, cyclists, motorbike riders or drivers – are urged to comply with the road rules, pay attention and do their bit to keep the community safe.”

The spokeswoman said Traffic Watch “provided opportunities for the public to contribute to the overall wellbeing of their community” similarly to Neighbourhood Watch.

“The complaint categories are broad definitions, which can cover off on a range of behaviour by motorists,” she said.

“Anyone who sees this behaviour is encouraged to report it to police as soon as they can. (It) puts all road users at risk and police are continuing to focus on reducing road trauma.”

Road Safety Minister Vincent Tarzia said the Traffic Watch app – a Liberal election promise – continued to boost road safety and the ability of police to uphold the law.

“I encourage all South Australians to dob in hoons. They put us all at risk and don’t deserve a licence,” Mr Tarzia said.

“The successful Traffic Watch app gives police extra eyes and ears on our roads to catch hoons and idiots who risk lives with reckless behaviour.”

Originally published as Thousands of South Australian hoons dobbed in to Traffic Watch for dangerous and reckless driving