Almost 5000 cars have been taken off the state's roads in that time, most between the hours of 4pm and midnight - evidently the hooning hours.

Some might think a law that gives police the power to impound a car a harsh law, but it has the ring of commonsense about it.

Car impounding is the road rule equivalent of soccer's red card.

Just as sending a violent player off a sportsfield effectively ends the prospect of more on-field violence, the impounding of a car ends the possibility of a hoon injuring himself or someone else in the event he loses control of his car.

Along with the safety aspect to impounding, removing hoons also helps restore peace and quiet on the streets at a time when they should have a relative calm.

We wish Jones well in battle with cancer

TO some he is the personification of self-absorbed shock jock, to others a voice of reason and a former, successful Wallabies coach.

Alan Jones has been a constant presence on radio, particularly Sydney airwaves, for decades but yesterday he announced he would be taking a break in order to have surgery for prostate cancer.

In boldly and plainly explaining that he had the potentially life-threatening condition and that it required treatment, Jones did much to help raise awareness of a condition that affects so many men.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says 3000 Australian men die of the disease each year - one every three hours - equal to the number of women who die of breast cancer.

Clearly it is a serious health issue for men, who are said to be generally reluctant to seek medical advice.

Celebrity can be an unhelpful, blunt instrument at times but Jones has done his bit in speaking openly about his diagnosis.