THE screech of car wheels, the marks of burnt out rubber on the bitumen, being woken up at 3am. That, say some residents, is a typical night in Magpie and Cobden streets.
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Residents say their suburban haven is being destroyed by “hoons” who speed down the street on a regular basis, leaving some residents to fear for their lives. The front fence of Steven Arnott’s house is currently a dilapidated mess. A driver crashed into it on Australia Day and “hooned off”.
“They go ripping down the street, do a burnout right in front of our house,” Mr Arnott said.
“We’ve seen two accidents (recently) where they have been flying around the corner … it’s only a matter of time until they crash through our front room.”
Mr Arnott is calling for something to do be done to stop motorists from using the area as a make-shift speed track.
Geoff and Linda Chambers refuse to park their cars outside their Magpie Street home for fear of them being wiped out.
“It’s very tedious, you’re sleeping and hear a lot of noise every night. It’s like a raceway,” Mr Chambers said.
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They have lived in Magpie Street for eight years and believe the erratic driving is getting worse. Signs recommending drivers stick to 40 km/h around the bend were introduced, but Mr Chambers said drivers pay little notice.
Ballarat City Council mayor and head of the road safety committee Des Hudson urged residents to be vigilant in reporting hoon driving to ensure the problem could be eradicated. He said residents could report roads that they thought were dangerous to council to be examined.
“We have long term roads maintenance … there is a hierarchy of local roads that are improved and serviced over a period,” Cr Hudson said.
He said furniture could be added to roads, but that council had tended to steer away from installing speed humps over the past few years.
“The focus should be on the behaviour of the driving. (We need) a community call to action to stop this hoon type of behaviour,” Cr Hudson said. Report hoon driving to 1800 333 000.
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