Earlier that day the owner had performed a 'burnout' in his car, which he had owned for only a week, by the Bessemer Street intersection next to McDonalds in Mittagong.

Unfortunately for him, two off duty Highway Patrol offices also observed his stupidity and after noting his registration plate, they decided to meet this young P Plate driver.

Under legislation introduced in December 1996, police have the power to confiscate vehicles for three months in the first instance and on the second occasion, permanently.

Without his powerful V8 wheels until February next year, this driver was also looking at being more than $1,000 out of pocket after facing a fine of $385 for the infringement notice, a $400 towing fee and an impoundment fee of $3 a day for the next three months.

Shocked by the recent behaviour by P Plate drivers, Mittagong Highway Patrol officers hope this image will strike a cord with many young drivers seemingly unfazed by the deaths of six Highland youths at Kangaroo Valley.

Senior Constable Brian Dee admitted that the reaction of the driver concerned was "unprintable" when told his car was being confiscated.

"The message is you never know who is watching you and all highway patrol officers live in the Highlands and share the roads with everyone else, whether on or off duty" he said.

"So many young drivers are coming under our notice on a daily basis disobeying basic road rules but they can't obtain a licence without learning these things so it's not as if they don't know them.

"Unfortunately, they haven't got 20 years of driving experience behind them if they do make an error.

"If they disobey the road rules they will be pulled over."

Senior Constable John Kane also felt the safe driving message was falling on deaf ears with youngsters pulled over for infringements such as not displaying P Plates, speeding, failing to indicate and not wearing seatbelts.

"Officers have been concerned at the recent behaviour of young drivers on the roads and we haven't seen any real change in their attitude since the Kangaroo Valley and Bargo crashes, if anything, it has got worse," he said.

"We make no excuse for targeting young drivers because they're the number one statistic when it comes to accidents".