Illegal Street Racing: A Growing Problem
Posted: Thursday, March 30, 2006
by Peter Johnson
all-about-car-selection.com
It's not an uncommon sight. Two vehicles line-up at a streetlight, one challenges the other, and once the green light appears they take off as fast as they know how. Illegal street racing is not a new thing. It's been going on ever since the days of the Model T Ford. Over the years, speeds have increased and with the advent of cell phones and GPS systems, so has the technology. But the consequences of these careless actions have never changed. Thousands of accidents occur each year due to thoughtless, aggressive driving on our streets. But the trend continues to grow. Movies like The Fast and The Furious have helped to spread the virtues of street racing. Movies like these don't show innocent victims getting hurt, but rather they portray the characters as misunderstood good guys who have a passion for cars. It's easy to see how young people are able to accept the notion that street racing doesn't hurt anyone when everything they see in movies confirms it. Videos of illegal street races are downloaded off the web at a growing rate only to fuel the desires of those who are unable to see the dangers in it.
So what are the solutions. Racing on our streets will never stop, but it can be reduced. What needs to be understood is that street racing is a social activity. People gather in a parking lot, hang out with friends, challenge someone to a race, and come back to the same parking lot once the race is over. Some cities recognized this and have opened drag strips for people to race, socialize and interact. For a small fee, they can prove themselves in a safe, supervised environment. This is also a great way to integrate local police with the participants. In order to reduce racing on our streets, local authorities need to control it. Larger fines won't reduce street racing. Hundreds of people have died racing on the streets in this country and if the possibility of death doesn't stop someone, a fine won't either.
In the end we need to understand that the only way to reduce street racing is to provide an outlet for which it can occur. Until then, the masses will do what they know they'll continue to race on our streets.
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Peter Johnson is the chief writer for all-about-car-selection.com
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More commentscompletely agree with wat the man is saying, street racing is fun there is no two ways about it but no one wants to be caught by a rozzer doin a ton and a half down the local duel carrige way thats licence up in spoke, a few quarter and half mile open drag strips wud definatly reduce the amout people race, there will still be impulse racing on the spot but organised races like describe will undoubtedly go to the track.
seriously, fines wont stop racers, and it IS a fact. but the thing is, we have to PAY to get into a LEGAL race when we can go race someone for FREE. that's the dumbest idea ever. also, there's so few race ways, it's just stupid, and most are strait lines. maybe if you make MORE racetracks, MORE varieties, and less costs. we might get off the roads, but until then, everyone is just going to have to deal with racers. (and a tip to the people that dont know what to do when racers come flying by... just stay in your lane and maintain your speed.... otherwise u run a VERY high risk of getting hit and REALLY endangering others on the road)i totaly agree with him if i come flying up at 100+ and u try to get in front of me or move or something i cant respond to that with out a crash. and besides that in most places everyone knows where the street racing is going on and it happens at night so just dont go into that area if ur so worried about it. I live in wisconsin and everyone knows on the weekend and almost everynight during the summer highway 100 is where all the racers go to hangout and just cruise and they know that is starts around 9 p.m. so ppl that dont want to get caught in that go around.
what do you mean get out of the way you shouldn't be going 100+ look im 18 and I have a supercharged charger and i have the brains to know that racing is stupid all yall need to think bout everyone else on the road for real, man there's families driving around. Is not just you and ur friends. And yall talking like you some big time racers man shut up slow down and stop actin stupid.Don't worry. No one with a supercharged charger races anyway. Too heavy and no control. Sad is it is, rice burners still dominate.
You seem to have this huge misconception about street racing. There are some really stupid people that race in traffic. That'll keep happening no matter what. Most of us block off roads, clear traffic, and race. The only people that get hurt are ourselves. You have just as much a chance of dying on your way to work by some jerkoff who didn't sleep enough the night before as dying in a street race.
And quit giving me this holier than thou speech to me about what I do. With all the thousands of ways there are to die just by sitting in your home, why would I worry about another risk? Hell, you can sit at home every night in your safe little bubble and some drunk asshole runs into your living room with his car and kills your family. It happens all the time. At least I put my own life in my own hands, not letting someone else take control of it.let him know man am with u on this...
this article is complete b.s. if there was a place in every city in the u.s. that the"idiot" street racers could go to race for FREE, then i would go to the strip. it costs 10 dollars a run everytime u go down the drag strip where i live. im not gonna pay 10 dollars to race.thats why i go on the street. Ill agree with all the racers. u could get hit by some drunk @#$%&* and die, id much rather be ejected from the windshield at 130 than sit and suffer when i get in a head on with some drunk @#$%&* at 25mph. my brother was killed by a drunk driver he was a nerd, and im not going out without living my life.
Did you know that illegal street racing is now a professional sport? There is this company called NALSR National Assn. for Legalized Street Racing. This company aims to promote legalized street racing and has made it legal to street race on the track! Maybe you should do a story on this company and the positive things they are doing for street racers includeing makeing the streets safer, having educational driving coarses and turning reckless streeet racers professional athletes. I found them and after so many people dying decided to try to race legally and I think the awareness will bring others on board.
Hence why people race in the warehouse district and at 2 in the morning, so the risk of killing someone or yourself is alot lower. Street racers aren't stupid, they know the risks just like anyone else. The main reason why people street race is because most cities don't have a local drag strip, and if there is one, you have to pay. I don't understand why you have to pay to race. I guarnette that if every city had a free drag strip to race on, there would be way less street racing.amen my brother
Hi my name is ania!!! I am doing a university project on car racing. It would be quite helpful for me if you could fill out the following questionnaire...!Name:________
Age:_________
Occupation:____________
Do you street race often?
Do you agree that racing should be made legal?
If youngsters are provided a proper platform for racing than it will definetely discourage street racing.Do u agree?
Do you think car racing movies & games have helped increase more passion of racing in youngsters?
Do you think training a child from the age of 10 to 11 years is necessary to make the perfect level of racers?
Race track will have a positive impact on our economy?
Do you think racers can make a career out of this opportunity?
Do you think that racers can make a career out of this opportunity?
Do you think racing potrays your status symbol?
Do you think investing in race tracks is awiser decision rather than investing on infrastructureof the country?If possible, can you give me at least 2-3 completed surveys, one from each point of view, A.S.A.P. , because I'm doing the same kind of Research project but for high school. Please and thank you .... I will give you credit for itName:Dick Rogers________Age:73 1/2_________Occupation:racer____________Do you street race often?siDo you agree that racing should be made legal?si por favorIf youngsters are provided a proper platform for racing than it will definetely discourage street racing.Do u agree?no holmes, street racing be specialDo you think car racing movies & games have helped increase more passion of racing in youngsters?si holmesDo you think training a child from the age of 10 to 11 years is necessary to make the perfect level of racers?no holmesRace track will have a positive impact on our economy?what the hell dose that meanDo you think racers can make a career out of this opportunity?siDo you think that racers can make a career out of this opportunity?same as aboveDo you think racing potrays your status symbol?siDo you think investing in race tracks is awiser decision rather than investing on infrastructureof the country?no holmes
Its not a small fee.. Most the time track access is $15-$25 per car. I'd rather spend that on gas and parts. That's $100 per month on "track access" when I can step out my front door, and do it on the street in front of my house for free. The solution is more FREE events and street racing zones, like a red light district. Most counties have these areas but cops can't legally say "go here".. it's all political bull$%&*@$%& that gets in the way, so people keep getting killed. Politics is at fault here, not Johnny B. Tuner
It dosen't matter what the cops do; real racers will never stop. Your gonna crush my car, take my liscense, try to lock me up? You have to catch me first... that's all it comes down to. End of story. Do I put people at risk? Yes. Am I dead or have I killed anyone? No. Any idiot can race, real street racers are not idiots. The lifestyle we choose calls for intellegence and skill. Real streetracers are some of the best drivers in the world which is why they arnt dead yet or in jail because THEY KNOW HOW TO DRIVE! Any real racer will tell you the same thing. We live the way we do because we can and we know how not to get caught or KILL ANYONE! This is what we were born to do.I agree with matt that real racers know how to handle their sh*t i was in a street race the other day with 4 other drivers real drivers that could handle the car they were in but this cop thought he could out run us and when she didnt she tryd to pull a pit monuver on me and spun me around and i pulld a 180 and kept on going she never had a chance but neither did the car she hit when she whent into the other lane because of the pit noone was seriusly hurt but still it was her falt if she wouldnt have tried to stop us that wouldnt have happened,do ithink street raceing should be legal, no,but because i know it will never happen their making to much money off us they will never stop but neither will we!...this is Justin Horton out of the H.G signing offKEEP RACING!!!
street racing, whether you think noone is around and its 'safe' is pretty stupid. No risk analysis can count for one person coming home late at night. It only takes one person and you ruin the lives of many. Its not just you, thats selfish, its the people you could hit, and their friends and family too. I know you still want to race, and i know it costs too much. Im in the same situation. But i have had enough scares street racing to realise that it has to stop. This effects everyone but that shouldnt stop you racing. Get a job, pay your fee and keep racing. Realistically its a couple of hundred bucks a year on track fees or peoples lives. I hope you all spare a thought about it.
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