‘It’s got to stop;’ Tougher penalties for drivers, spectators in newly-passed anti-hooning bill

COLUMBUS — A new law that toughens penalties for people involved in stunt driving or “hooning” is on its way to the governor.

>>RELATED: Local leaders ask for help from state lawmakers to crack down on ‘hooning’

The legislation changes hooning from a ticket to a first-degree misdemeanor. It also provides for spectators to be ticketed as well. And if a driver flees police, the law changes that offense from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony with possible prison time.

Street takeovers have occurred in Dayton and across the state. Hooning is characterized by drivers who do burnouts, donuts, drift and block streets as they leave burned rubber in the streets. The term was coined in Australia in the 1980s to describe someone who was driving recklessly for attention.

One of those local hooning incidents, which occurred at Third and Jefferson in downtown Dayton, left many people upset and worried for their safety.

“Because that is really, really unsafe for our neighborhoods and unsafe for them,” Amber Bryant told News Center 7.

She has witnessed the street takeovers that startled downtown Dayton a couple times last year. She saw the smoke, heard the screams and the burnouts....and saw the riders hanging out of open passenger side windows.

“Maybe we can get a better handle on it,” Bryant said.

State Reps. Phil Plummer and Andrea White were the bill’s primary sponsors and spoke to News Center 7′s Mike Campbell on News Center 7 at 6:00.

That is the goal of the new law, Plummer told News Center 7.

“It’s nonsense. It’s got to stop,” he said.

State legislator White echoed Plummer’s call for the dangerous driving to stop.

“Enough is enough,” she said. “We need to be able to have better tools to enforce the law and stop street takeovers so innocent people aren’t hurt.”

White said the new law is the result of a lot of people in the community who did not want to risk driving and experiencing (street) blocks being taken over.

The state Senate approved the legislation, House Bill 56, unanimously on Wednesday. The House passed it 83-6 last December. All that’s needed now is Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature.

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