“Hooning“, the latest piece of news in the driving world. In an ever-evolving world of transportation, new laws and regulations are continually being introduced to enhance driver safety and reduce road accidents. In recent developments, Ohio has passed new legislation aimed to reduce reckless driving and target the hooning phenomena.
Hooning: A term which has traversed across the world
The strange colloquial term hooning originated in Australia and New Zealand and has made its was to the U.S. It refers to dangerous vehicular stunts such as burnouts, donuts, and illegal street racing. In Ohio, the anti-hooning law addresses activities like street takeovers, stunt driving, evading police, and police chase protocols, while also imposing stricter penalties on those involved.
Residents of Ohio are becoming more frustrated with the increasing incidents of reckless driving behavior. “I see cars every day with no plates, broken, headlight, and taillights, bumper held on with who knows what, kids not improper car seats or wearing restraining belts … and don’t even get me started on the texting and driving,” a poster on Nextdoor said. “It’s becoming ridiculous. They’re at least 1-2 accidents on these roads every day that causes hours of delay. It’s got to stop.”
The post has sparked conversations surrounding recent disturbances in the area and the lack of enforced legislation to do anything about it. The areas of most concern are in Columbus on highways like on highways like State Route 315, Interstate 71, I-670, and I-270.
What does the new law do?
House Bill 56 raises penalties for stunt driving and street racing, classifying them as first-degree misdemeanors with penalties that include license suspensions of up to three years and substantial fines. It also permits the seizure of vehicles involved in these activities. Additionally, individuals who “render assistance” during such events can now face the same charges as the participants. The law also makes fleeing from the police a fourth-degree felony, up from a first-degree misdemeanor. To keep up with these new restrictions, you should also ensure that your car is road worthy and reliable to be on the road.
“You have situations where communities have several hundred people gathering at intersections, and multiple cars doing very dangerous stunt driving in the center of major intersections, and then all of the sudden multiple parties fleeing police, people are getting hurt, lives are being lost, property damaged,” said Rep. Andrea White, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Phil Plummer.
The festive season expected to increase reckless driving behavior
The new piece of legislation could not come at a better time as the festive season come into full swing. Coupled with the bad weather which begins at this time of the year and families home for the holidays, risky driving behavior is constantly a concern at this time of the year. The new piece of legislation will hopefully help to reduce road accidents in the next few weeks and going forward into the new year.
In addition to the new Ohio law, the Columbus City Council recently updated local ordinances to address street racing and stunt driving. City Attorney Zach Klein highlighted the dangerous, life-threatening nature of these activities, pointing out that reckless driving often leads to violent incidents or serious accidents.
“You could lose control of the vehicle at any moment,” Klein said. “You could run over a kid playing at a playground. It really does threaten public safety from a vehicle standpoint. But unfortunately, we’ve also seen a lot of these street takeovers especially escalate to gun violence.”
Maintaining a responsible posture towards driving is important for both you as the driver and the well-being of others. This festive season, remember to drive responsibly and adhere to the rules of the road, especially ensuring that you do not drive under the influence. What’s more, ensure that your car insurance is uptodate in the case of an accident
