Is crusing with a convoy of other cars legal?

daniel_rossy · 24-09-2008, 11:11 PM

Hey everyone.
Just a small question...

A group of mates got together in our town to go for a cruise around town. There ended up being about 20 cars.

It was in the paper that we were 'hooning' and 'driving irratically' when we were just driving following each other on a nice thursday afternoon and so we can have a bbq tea at the town gardens. We were doing everything legally, such as staying under the speed limit, no hooning or anything because if we did (which i personally dont anyway) it would make p platers look worse. When we only did a few laps of the main street, drove around randomly for about 20mins then went to the gardens.

Another one was planned for the weekend and some of our mates said they asked the police and they said that if it happens again they will be impounding cars for the hoon laws when we weren't doing anything illegal, keeping in mind my friends can sometimes tend to talk things up alot and exagerate the truth.

So now we can't have a sunday drive with mates to have a bbq lunch and play some footy (weather permitting lol...) with about 15 cars without being impounded under the hoon laws.

What are peoples views on this and can police actually do this?

Thanks guys.

Keepleft · 24-09-2008, 11:19 PM

It just kinda 'attracts attention'. This means they'll take a close and personal look, might be for say defects etc.........

Stealth is good. Your job is not to be involved with 'the state' in any manner whatsoever.

Good luck.

daniel_rossy · 24-09-2008, 11:25 PM

Yeah i forgot to add that as we were leaving the gardens the police set up a thing how all our cars got full RWC's and about 9 failed for small things such as no water in wipers, to things such as bald tyres which was fair enough. They took absolutely ages to do it just to 'teach us a lesson'

keeping in mind all of these cars were holdens, fords and two skylines all with 17'' wheels or bigger and big exhausts ect...

I passed

We are just going to walk to the gardens on the weekend... :(

I see why the police should be paranoid but to say that we will get done for hoon offences is abit much IMO.

WPN XR6T · 24-09-2008, 11:26 PM

Has anyone (other than the paper) told you that you can't? Was it an editorial or an article? News papers are not the law, they just think they are, and other peoples opinions are just that (sort of like internet forums, really...) I don't think the police saying that they will impound your cars is probably 100% accurate, and it depends on the way you present your case.

I also don't think the police would have given a definative "No", but instead advised against it in the form of a veild threat.

Yes, you can cruise, as long as it does not impede traffic. Yes, the cops can target you, and if you hoon on the cruise, they can take your car, dosen't make it right, but thats the law.

It's up to you guys (and girls, probably) to prove to them that you are not in fact a bunch of hoons, and are just out on a social gathering.

Edit, more stuff added to thread whilst typing...

**data_mine** · 24-09-2008, 11:31 PM

It sucks but inflammatory media fuelled public perception, thus political pressure means the coppers will pick on anyone in groups.

daniel_rossy · 24-09-2008, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WPN XR6T

Has anyone (other than the paper) told you that you can't? Was it an editorial or an article? News papers are not the law, they just think they are, and other peoples opinions are just that (sort of like internet forums, really...) I don't think the police saying that they will impound your cars is probably 100% accurate, and it depends on the way you present your case.

I also don't think the police would have given a definative "No", but instead advised against it in the form of a veild threat.

Yes, you can cruise, as long as it does not impede traffic. Yes, the cops can target you, and if you hoon on the cruise, they can take your car, dosen't make it right, but thats the law. And make sure that your car is legal, as it will just give them another reason to book you.

It's up to you guys (and girls, probably) to prove to them that you are not in fact a bunch of hoons, and are just out on a social gathering.

Yeah thats right thanks mate.
Yeah like if i was a police officer and saw a bunch of stereotypical 'hooning' cars doing laps all at once first i would think is that they will be peer pressured into doing things and they would show off.
The newspaper was an article so yeah it was most likely the writers point of view.

Like it doesnt really bother us that we cant drive there it was just fun going on a cruise and seeing everyones cars and having a good time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by data_mine

It sucks but inflammatory media fuelled public perception, thus political pressure means the coppers will pick on anyone in groups.

Spot on mate.

gemibabe · 25-09-2008, 12:33 AM

guess you missed the WA blitz on car cruises. The cops over here basically barricaded the carparks and went through nearly all the cars giving out canaries on this one particular cruise.

Put a pretty big damper on the car scene here in Perth... but it doesn't stop them. Just recently the imports had a combined cruise, went off without any dramas.

Perhaps take the cruise out of town for a bbq somewhere else??

Dunno about you but our cruises over here involved a few hours driving with a bbq at the end so everyone can have a good chat and get to know each other.

GTP owner · 25-09-2008, 08:52 AM

There are also "move along laws", which allow the police to ask you to leave if you are a group. If you do not they can arrest and charge you, because you "might cause mischief". Welcome to our free country.

I personally would invite a reporter along for a ride at the next gathering. Explain what you are doing - having a good time while not being idiots. Also explain how the police specifically target young people having a get-together. The video everything! It makes for great tv- and the police hate having to explain their actions when they are behaving like nazis. It also make pleading your case in court a lot easier.

Poetic Justice · 25-09-2008, 09:55 AM

I run Melbourne's largest car club, and our cruises gather 800 cars or thereabouts.

No certain law, but I've seen at least one news paper article about the police deciding whether to lay any charges on us for an event that we had a lot of police interaction with.

The media can be harsh, but we knew that ;)

XR06T · 25-09-2008, 10:34 AM

there is nothing in the hoon laws (in WA anyway) about travelling in a large group. you CANNOT get you car impounded for anything other than hoon laws (over here anyway).

if you are not braking any laws, traveling in a big group is just like driving in peak hour!

Mr Hardware · 25-09-2008, 11:20 AM

If driving in a group is illegal, there'll be a lot of funeral processions in trouble....

also
try to avoid imperial entanglements.

XR6_661 · 25-09-2008, 11:43 AM

Picking on yas by the sounds of it. Pure and simple.

Any money some dry and shabby individual with nothing better to do then ring the authorities and complain instigated this.

This whole 'Hoon' stereotype, cliche, whatever you want to call it, has been blown WAY out of proportion by the media, etc over the last couple of years.
It's absolutly stupid. Seriously.

There is nothing wrong with cruising in a group. And I urge you to go out on sunday for your cruise and lunch, etc. How is it any different then normal traffic? Only difference is everyone knows each other, everyone is behaving, and it's a group of nice cars.

Seriously, the majority of the population in Australia needs to get their act together, and whinge about things that actually matter. Like crime in cities. But I won't touch on that.

Like I said, go on the cruise on Sunday. Make sure everyone who attends has a roadworthy vehicle and have a good day!

FGII-XR6 · 25-09-2008, 12:35 PM

have someone filming the whole thing from another car discreetly and when the cops have cars impounded you have video evidence there was no hooning then have the cops charged with stealing your cars . if you have proof there was no hooning the offence of illegally take conveyance would be able to be proven against the cop haveing the car impounded you would receive compensation and he would no longer be a cop . to make sure they actually act phone them and tell them you heard there was coing to be a group of cars doing a cruise through town , you get the idea set them up . I have a lot of time for honest cops but corrupt onese who abuse their powers should be sacked

Fev · 25-09-2008, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCUD

I run Melbourne's largest car club, and our cruises gather 800 cars or thereabouts.

No certain law, but I've seen at least one news paper article about the police deciding whether to lay any charges on us for an event that we had a lot of police interaction with.

The media can be harsh, but we knew that ;)

wow 800 cars is nuts!!! wouldnt be surprised if they tried to charge you for disrupting the flow of traffic lol

poolkeeper · 25-09-2008, 12:44 PM

Cops are Tops

Biggav · 25-09-2008, 01:44 PM

used to help run one of perths biggest non bias cruise clubs here few years ago, we used to let the police know where the cruise was heading and never once had more than a breatho test done.

we even had a squad car come down to a meetpoint well known for burnouts just cause some yuppy saw us all pulling in after pressing some flesh with the boys in blue they popped the bonnet on the cruiser and showed us what was under there and everything shame they ended up getting in trouble by the other squad car that turned up seeing what the hold up was for the first car.

im sure if terry(BPT motorsport) could find the photo of him shaking the coppers hand it would be a laugh.

seduced_xr · 25-09-2008, 02:02 PM

sticker up the rear windows mate. eg www.bseries.com.au stickers.. www.fordmods.com eseries.com coppers just see it as a car club cruise

fpbabe · 25-09-2008, 02:14 PM

cruising is not illegal, however whenever you have 1 or a large group of modified cars you will attract police attention. thats nothing new.
if you're doing the right thing you've got nothing to worry about.
unfortunately due to the real hoons the rest of us who do the right thing but own modified cars get stereotyped and it sux :(

LTDterri · 25-09-2008, 03:05 PM

This seems to be Small town cops with big town aspirations to me.

S3SR · 25-09-2008, 03:14 PM

record the next cruise on video and as long as its all pretty much sensible and doesnt break any traffic laws (no one crosses double white lines or starts fish tailing down the road), shove it in their face and demand an apology - its that crap from police and the media that give the rest of us car enthusiasts the bad name

show them its getting together and having a bbq like any other person and family does when they get together and enoying your pride and joy/hobbies/money pits rather than going to the pub and bashing people senseless or injecting some backyard drug into your collinder shaped veins

the thing i dont get (and this is stolen from jerremy clarkson) they can blantantly book you for "hooning" aka driving in groups, etc (big like teens do in shopping centres but in cars on the road) but they cant get your stolen items back, too lazy to investigate a smashed window or break and enter and theft or cant charge someone that stole your money via ebay because its in another state and its only $25 take it on the chin

and the media who arent any better

no its not illegal - they dont book people in a funeral, or wedding and sometimes theyre bigger convoys than some cruise, as long as you go from A to B without any dramas and without causing problems they have nothing

AndrewR_AUII · 25-09-2008, 04:44 PM

S3SR has hit the nail of the head here: There is a difference between a 'car enthusiast' and a 'hoon'.
If it was illegal to cruise in a group, then I suppose the 'Bay to Birdwood' (SA event this weekend) would be illegal...

sgt_doofey · 25-09-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewR_AUII

If it was illegal to cruise in a group, then I suppose the 'Bay to Birdwood' (SA event this weekend) would be illegal...

The Clipsal 500 would be next. Racing on public streets!! Bloody hoons!

outback_ute · 25-09-2008, 05:39 PM

If the cruise is going to be a regular thing, it would be a good idea to have some representatives from your group make an appointment with the local police to discuss how you might run future cruises, explain what you are doing & get them on-side. I'm sure you will be able to find some pointers for organising cruises to avoid hassles online somewhere. Eg make sure everyone is aware that a standard of behaviour is accepted.

One thing you mentioned in the first post, 20 cars doing "a few" laps of the main street, would get old pretty quickly. I think you are better off keeping away from busy areas like that.

**TUF_302** · 25-09-2008, 05:59 PM

Its not illegal, cops just need something to do!! lol!, im in two car clubs and we go on big cruises together alot, once there was 101 cars!, and we had no trouble from the cops all day!

Skotty · 25-09-2008, 06:03 PM

Over here in SA its all good, We had a Pro Streets Ford cruise and we endedup at Habour Town maccas carpark, the po-po done a drive by, stoped and asked what we were upto and then said "its raining I'm getting out of here have fun boys"

V3RSAC3 · 25-09-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

The Clipsal 500 would be next. Racing on public streets!! Bloody hoons!

Wait hang on... thats illegal??

:

:P

Crusing in a group is DEFFINATLY not illegal, im head of cruisng for our car club and garanteed every weekend we have easily just 20+ cars cruising through town all night, no problems from the police!! and organised cruises we got atleast 40 ...

But I tell you, get car club stickers, n get a good rep. ... we all have our club stickers on our cars and the police see us n just leave us alone! ...

But you havent done anything wrong! prob just old people finding something to complain about ( "Noise Pollution" )

GORDZ · 25-09-2008, 09:06 PM

legally ya gotta have your lights on in a convoy yeah?

daniel_rossy · 26-09-2008, 01:27 AM

Hey guys thanks for your replies, been abit busy today sorry for late reply.
Anyway yeah i will record it next cruise we have and if any police try to impound us i will show them the vids.

Yeah its a smallish city, about 8,000 people so all the young people know everyone and all the police know all the nice cars. They dont have anything better to do. Like there are a few bad apples that do skids at every corner but i guess at the end of the day they are here to save lives and protect everyones well being so a primary stratergy would be the best option than leaving it for the worst, for example if there was a big pile up because someone lost control and 5 died then the police will get in the spotlight and they would be accused of not doing their job.
Oh the chaos.

daniel_rossy · 26-09-2008, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V3RSAC3

Wait hang on... thats illegal??

:

:P

Crusing in a group is DEFFINATLY not illegal, im head of cruisng for our car club and garanteed every weekend we have easily just 20+ cars cruising through town all night, no problems from the police!! and organised cruises we got atleast 40 ...

But I tell you, get car club stickers, n get a good rep. ... we all have our club stickers on our cars and the police see us n just leave us alone! ...

But you havent done anything wrong! prob just old people finding something to complain about ( "Noise Pollution" )

Hahahahahaha... Yep last time we got club stickers....

Well we put these little stickers up that were perfectly legal and just had a few letters on it that were non offending, short for the clubs name. Anyway the police told us to take them off because another car club was getting angry.

Anyway the two car clubs joined and all the others from the other car club got our stickers and the police told us to take it off or other people will get angry.

The thing is when ever someone is down the main streets 5/10 times someone is getting pulled up for random bretho's, RWC's or just to see if they were causing trouble (which they dont) and the public sees the cars then sees the cars they are around and automatically assumes they are hoons because their mates are.

Ohh well thats how society works.
Damn small town syndrome.

fos408 · 26-09-2008, 09:59 AM

Hi ,I think you should take the advice from a couple of people here and as a club go and develop a relationship with the head of traffic in your town and discuss any issues they have with your cruises ,work through the issues and make sure your members do the right thing while cruising in a group.

In Adelaide SMASA and Zipple regularly hold cruises with between 150 and 400 cars ,supply the police with the cruise route and have built up trust from making it clear Idiots will not be tolerated. The police generally cruise though the carparks and it is a very rare occasion to seen a defect handed out and it would be easy for them to do so as very few cars havent got defect ,especially modified ones, as they are saying its because of the time these guys have taken to build a reporethis is not happening.

I have been defected a number of times while out cruising by myself even though doing nothing (very modified) but driven straight past numerous police who do nothing but never had a hassle while in a well behaved group cruise.
I hope things improve for your club as there is nothing sweeter they a bit of cruising and checking out others work