ACT Policing says 22 impaired drivers were detected and 14 people arrested during the four day festival with officers warning hoon behaviour outside the venue will face court action.
ACT Policing has seized 19 vehicles and detected 22 impaired drivers in the lead up to and during this year’s Summernats after a weekend of heavy patrols around Exhibition Park and across Canberra roads.
Police said the 38th Summernats ran from Thursday, 8 January to 11 January, drawing large crowds to the capital and increased attention from road policing teams focused on burnouts and other dangerous driving.
One of the most serious incidents cited by police involved a green Holden Commodore allegedly performing a burnout metres from pedestrians at the intersection of Kunzea and Dryandra streets in O’Connor on night of 10 January.
Police arrested the driver which is a 38 year old Queensland man, issued an immediate 90 day suspension from driving in the ACT and seized the car.
Beyond the O’Connor incident, police said six arrests were made at the event and a further eight arrests were made on ACT roads linked to impaired driving and dangerous driving behaviour including burnouts.
Officers issued 197 traffic infringement notices and conducted more than 2,200 roadside alcohol and drug tests as well as more than 85 vehicle defect notices.
Another 25 spectators were removed from events, mostly for intoxicated behaviour and that penalties linked to vehicle seizure can become expensive once towing, storage and fines are added.
The broadcaster also reported police can hold burnout vehicles for up to 90 days and in some cases, may pursue forfeiture for repeat offending.
For some residents, the frustration was less about what happens inside the venue and more about what spills into suburban streets.
Page resident Andrew Gould said that he watched a burnout outside his home on Saturday evening and said dangerous driving had no place in residential areas.
Police had foreshadowed a tougher approach before gates opened saying they would proactively target dangerous driving and use material such as social media footage and CCTV to identify vehicles and drivers.
