And they hope others will follow her lead.

Ballarat police traffic management unit Senior Constable Tony Creanor said the unit receives about 15 reports of hoon behaviour in the city each week, mostly from anonymous sources, but on average only one of those reports

results in charges being laid.

He said the woman who reported the driver to the Crime Stoppers hoon hotline last July not only left her details for police but went to court on Tuesday to testify against the 17-year-old driver, an action critical to him being

found guilty and disqualified from the roads.

"This woman's evidence and the information she provided to police was crucial to the investigation and assisted us with a successful prosecution,'' Sen Const Creanor said.

"It shows that the more information we receive, the more it will assist police in investigating and possibly prosecuting the drivers.

"(But) we don't want to discourage people reporting anonymously, because we can use that to establish hot spots and it can assist us in further investigation''

Sen Const Creanor said this was the first time since the hotline was launched in Ballarat in 2007 that a defendant had contested the charge.

The case rested solely on the woman's evidence, after she reported him for doing burnouts in a Wendouree car park.

"All information left with Crime Stoppers is confidential and the more information we get, the better the possibility of a full investigation,'' he said.

"If there are no witness details, often it makes it very hard to go through and prosecute.''

Sen Const Creanor said the disqualification handed to the teenager in Ballarat Magistrates Court was the maximum for the charge of dangerous driving.

He described it as an "outstanding result".

People who witness dangerous driving, speeding, road rage or other offensive driving behaviour are encouraged to report it to the hoon hotline on 1800 333 000.