Opinion

Dob in a hoon

Some young git tailgating so close he's barely visible through the rear window, but what can you do? Yes, touch the brakes, as I have done occasionally, but his driving is a bigger problem than just this one instance. An idiot on the F3 weaving at great speed back and forth across three lanes in the peak-hour stream home. Where are the coppers when you need them? A hoon races down your residential street at a set time every day, and when I hear this particular hoon roaring down my street I have a few moments of fear for my neighbours' small children. But what can we do?

Not much in NSW. Sure, you can call the police but, practicalities being what they are, that is unlikely to lead to much.

If you lived in South Australia, Queensland,Tasmania and New Zealand you could do something satisfyingly effective: you could accept the police invitation to report dangerous driving to a special hotline. Well, it's even stronger than an invitation, it is a police request, and the police actually do something with your report.

Take South Australia, where police launched Traffic Watch in March 2006. Police send a warning letter, officially caution, fine or arrest and charge a driver where enough information is deemed to be reliable.

Tasmania's dob-in-a-bad-driver scheme has been hurriedly introduced, since nine people died in three accidents on the state's roads last Thursday, but police say they are heartened by the public's willingness to help.

Take New Zealand, where Community Roadwatch has operated for 12 years with amazing results. If in any two-year period police get three complaints from different people, the vehicle is deemed to be one driven by unsafe drivers and the local police are asked to pay particular attention to it and to all vehicles registered to the same person. Every hoon's nightmare!

It's simple enough. Dangerous drivers know they anger other drivers, and they'll know that angry drivers are likely to do something about it. Beautiful. And the angry driver can have an immediate impact, if he gets the chance, by making a spectacle of writing down the hoon's number. No room for anonymity, of course, and while stated willingness to stand by your report in court helps police it is not usually essential.

Reckless driving entails much more than speeding, but, unfortunately, it is only speeding that is likely to bring driving idiots to the attention of the law unless they kill someone. With a NSW version of dob-in-a-hoon every idiot will be vulnerable and will know he's vulnerable in every reckless moment.

I'd have no compunction about calling the hotline, identifying myself and putting myself forward as a court witness. Do you, like me, see it as standing against road-going thugs, or do you see it as that old Australian taboo, dobbing?

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Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 14/07/2009 5:43:00 PM | Comments (51)

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It's astonishing that it's not already in place in NSW, Jeff. I'd have the number in speed dial. The taboo around 'dobbing' is a hangover from the schoolyard bully, but nobody can allow that be an issue, or we're enablisng the unacceptable behaviour. This is our community, our society, and there's no way I'm letting hoons rule the roads, or thugs rule the streets. Zero tolerance.

Posted by Abundance, 15/07/2009 10:42:34 AM, on The Herald

Jeff, it is a necessity in this day and age. Bring back consequences for stupid behaviour. I see it more and more these days, most common offenders, Commodore drivers. Not having a go at commodore drivers cause they are the most popular car on our roads but if you are being talegated, or someone is regularly doing 100 down the suburban street, its likely to be a male in a commodore, and a P plate is not essential. I would be happy to sit in my car, dial the police number and speak to them on my hands free while the offender is in sight. My miggest bug bear is tailgaters and people speeding dangerously.

Posted by Nafe, 15/07/2009 10:59:41 AM, on The Herald

A few blasts from the shottie out the back window will do wonders - also sorts out those fairies at the bottom of my garden.

Posted by Scott Hillard, 15/07/2009 11:44:49 AM, on The Herald

I'd support such a move wholeheartedly, as a both a motorist and a cyclist. My only concern is the potential for malicious use, so the New Zealand Community Roadwatch model seems an appropriate one.

Posted by Directeur Sportif, 15/07/2009 11:45:59 AM, on The Herald

I agree with Abundance's comment re dobbing. If you know someone is doing the wrong thing and you don't do something about it you are as culpable as they are, in my opinion. I think this is a simple idea that would have a tremendous impact and benefit to the community. The cost to the economy and community of implementing this would be more than offset by the benefits.

Posted by fista, 15/07/2009 11:55:15 AM, on The Herald

Directeur there is potential for malicious use in every 'dob in' type system. i.e. DOCS hotline, avo's, etc. I'm sure a lot of neighbourhood call outs to police are harrassment type calls. Which means the police don't take things seriously. It must be hard for them getting called out to spiteful situations and not knowing who is telling the truth and what situation requires action. I like the sound of the NZ system. In my time driving for work I was often confronted by apalling driving, particularly involving speed and weaving in traffic. Once I was so concerned I did call the police. It does make my blood boil seeing people drive aggressively - and yes it does seem predominantly youngens (girls and boys). I do feel terribly old now.

Posted by leahkf, 15/07/2009 12:02:43 PM, on The Herald

I support it so long as the idiot getting dobbed in for weaving on the F3 can also dob in those not keeping left - Note that is left, not middle! While we are at it, can we also bring back "Operation Noah" and phone up about the drug dealers in your neighbourhood that everyone seems to know about bar the police.

Posted by IndyJonesJnr, 15/07/2009 12:18:45 PM, on The Herald

At risk of creating a tangent, Indy, I want to say that on the F3 it seems to me that the left of three lanes is for slow vehicles, and by that is meant vehicles travelling significantly below the speed limit. When travelling at the speed limit I drive, as I believe I should, in the middle lane. The right lane is for drivers seeking to overtake. But no breach of lane etiquette justifies or excuses dangerous driving.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 15/07/2009 12:22:18 PM

Indy, i also find it frustrating that people driving slower than the speed limit being in the right hand lane. That should be taught more to learners that left lane unless overtaking. I agree with Jeff though on the 3 lane roads being far left for trucks Learners P's etc traveling bellow the designated speed limit, middle for normal driving and right for overtaking. Also another annoying thing is (and i only really see this happen in Newcastle) when the lane merges, the people in the lane you need to merge into speed up and close any gap to ensure you can;t merge in safely. People say they hate driving in Sydney but OMG, they are much more courtious drivers in Sydney then around here. But at the end of the day wouldn't you prefer to be getting to your destination even 15 to 20 minutes late than ending up in a body bag trying to get there 15 seconds early? There are grave consequences for speeding and erattic driving, and sometimes you don't hurt yourself, but there will be an innocent victim who may feel the pain.

Posted by Nafe, 15/07/2009 12:42:17 PM, on The Herald

thats all we need abundance holier than thou people like you and corbett having dob in a driver on speed dial. I can here you now saying i will only dob in the hoons but it will be like a drug for you , reaching for the hotline on any tiny road infringment. No not for me.

Posted by horse, 15/07/2009 1:05:53 PM, on The Herald

There are safeguards built into these systems, and one of them would measure frequency of complaint, horse. There could be vexatious dobbers, and I don't think I'd be one of them.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 15/07/2009 1:22:06 PM

The one thing that binds us universally together as Australians is that we all think we are above average drivers. I agree with use of this system for the true hoons who excessively speed in residential areas and do burn outs. A person wanting to pass legally because you are out on your Sunday drive does not a hoon make. And by the way, the signs do say keep left unless overtaking! When they change them to keep left or middle, then I too may cruise the F3 in the centre lane.

Posted by IndyJonesJnr, 15/07/2009 1:10:40 PM, on The Herald

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