Hoons race to 'horror' levels

The Victoria Police figures reveal the frightening extent that lead-footed motorists are speeding on the state's roads. Risking fines, car confiscation and possible jail, 1264 hoons have been busted in the "idiot zone'' travelling more than 45km/h above the legal limit last financial year.

The figures, released exclusively to the Sunday Herald Sun, show 2549 were booked driving more than 40km/h too fast. And 8703 were caught going 30km/h higher than the legal limit.

About a third of speeders were in Melbourne's eastern suburbs -- 49,402 of more than 153,000 caught by police. Drivers risk $611 fines, the loss of eight demerit points, a one-year licence ban and confiscation of their car for 30 days under hoon legislation if they are booked for driving at more than 45km/h over the legal limit.

Adding to the tally, a hoon was caught driving at 150km/h on the Northern Highway near Kilmore on Friday and last week a Geelong car dealer lost his licence for doing 205km/h on the Geelong Ring Rd. Acting Supt (road policing) Dave Griffin said driving at "such stupid speeds'' could also put drivers in jail.

"It is criminal by definition...it is conduct endangering life,'' he said.

"It can lead to a custodial sentence and it's time the community got outraged about the horror that is road trauma.''

Police infringement statistics show 153,871 motorists were caught speeding during the past financial year -- more than 421 a day. There were 12 motorists charged with driving a heavy vehicle weighing more than 4.5 tonnes -- two in the state's west and two in the northwest metropolitan region which includes Broadmeadows, Brunswick and Collingwood.

The stupid speeders: Eastern Victoria: 385; Northwest Metro: 364; Southern Metro: 186; Western: 266; Other: 63. Total: 1264. Source: Victoria Police infringement statistics -- exceed speed limit by 45km/h or more.