BALLARAT residents are fed up with drivers hooning around the city’s streets, usually in the early hours of the morning.
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Long-term Magpie Street resident John Ogilvie campaigned for slow down signs and median strips to be installed in the street 10 years ago.
He said they had helped to slow down drivers, but said hoons still found a way to get around them.
However, Mr Ogilvie shared the same view as mayor Des Hudson – that speed humps were not always necessary.
“Over the 28 years, there’s been five crashes right on the corner, right out the front of our house,” Mr Ogilvie said.
“Cars are driving at 120 km/h – a ridiculous speed.
“No matter what you, you can’t seem to make them slow down.
“The hoons do whatever they want.”
As well are hearing cars tearing down the street, Mr Ogilivie has had his property damaged by tearaway motorists.
Ballarat Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant John Cody said hoon driving could be linked to stolen cars, but not exclusively. He said hoon drivers were also often people purely flouting the road rules.
Senior Sergeant Cody said reporting any “hoon” or irresponsible driving was absolutely vital, to ensure police could follow it up and make the roads the safest possible place.
Speed continues to be the main contributing factor the state’s road toll, which currently sits at 17 so far this year.
Mr Ogilvie has experienced the impacts of hoon driving first hand. His pergola has been torn down by a car that ended up metres from his daughter’s bedroom. Another time a stolen car was in his yard. At the moment a damaged vehicle is outside the front of his house, it has been there for multiple days.
Mr Ogilvie said drivers need to think before they get behind the wheel.
“I want people, if possible, to think about the possible consequences,” Mr Ogilvie said.
While council has not installed speed humps in recent years, changes were made to two blackspots in the city.
Roundabouts have been installed in Barkly Street and Lydiard Street. A council spokeswoman confirmed they were funded under the Federal Government’s Blackspot Programme
“(This) is an annual opportunity for the City of Ballarat and other councils to apply for funding to help reduce the incidence and severity of road trauma,” she said.
Submissions are typically made in response to casualty crash data compiled from Victoria Police records and provided by VicRoads.