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.
Racing is not a bad thing. In fact, it's an exciting sport that requires training, discipline and skill. But the streets are no place for racing. Unfortunately, any young person (the majority are young) can get into their car, mash the throttle and drive. No experience, no talent, no discipline. All of this while innocent drivers use the streets for their day-to-day activities.
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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» left by kelly jensen from malo washington (3 years 199 days ago.)
i like how u said that larger fines will not stop people becuse death has not!!!! Respond to this comment
» left by Hunter from Crittenden, Ky (1 year 308 days ago.)
yes this article vey helpful to me Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 256 days ago.)
if hundreds of people die street racing and it is illegal then since thousands dies each year from just regular accidents shouldn't driving be illegal Respond to this comment
» left by jordon nichols from kansas city mo (16 days 23 hours ago.)
hell yes well said! we need more racing tracks out there. im going to kcir to drag my chevelle tonight.
» left by andrew from texas (1 year 200 days ago.)
i race my truck and i hangout with people that race for fun and money
and i dont like how the cops stop imports that are tuned its gay now
there is a time and place for it like at night on the highway or back
roads so yall just need to get off our ass's for it ,its our lives we
play the game we can handle the debt that comes with it Respond to this comment
» left by brb from ddffv (1 year 159 days ago.)
amen
No i am sorry but you know what i don't want to die because you and your little buddys what to race your cars that would not be fun for me so if you are really thinking about racing why don't you go to you local track and start up there and if you don't have a local track tuff luck your out of it so don't start saying this stuff about well i will just do it at night because people drive on the high ways at night to its NOT JUST YOU! and i hope a cop picks you up!
» left by Anonymous (1 year 145 days ago.)
you guys are retarded! "there is a time and place"..i'm glad you dont care about your lives, but i'm sure many of the innocent drivers on the road with you do. You can easily kill other people..SELFISH!
» left by Camille from California (1 year 41 days ago.)
I'm sorry you feel this way. My brother just lost his 18 year old son to street racing. He and his 17 year old passanger died instantly. Their bodies were unrecignizable. My brother, his wife and daughter are absolutely devasted. Their lives will never be the same. Their son was a good kid, with good grades and a Christian, but made a fatal mistake. Are whole family is deeply grieved by this. There were 1188 people at his funeral. This pain and suffering has affected many people. Please think twice about all the people you will be hurting if a terrible tradgety happened to you. Don't do this to people who love. God bless you and keep you safe.
Our lives are never supposed to be the same, you live your same life everyday. I'm not going to shed a tear for something like this. Guess what, your in for a world of and successes in your lifetime. All you can do is prepare yourself as best you can.Another loved one of yours may die tomorrow, and if you can't appreciate them now then you deserve the shock of being left without them later. Racing is a choice, plain and simple. Personally I think spending most of your life in a cubicle is more threatening to your life, or collecting 70 cats to live with you. You don't see me slapping a cigarette out of your mouth because smoking kills so don't kick my car because it kills. Your already dead, love while you can, live while you can...
Good way to put it. I think street racing is somehow good and somehow bad.(please excuse my spelling)I think there is a place for racing and thats on the drag stips but also who is going to listine to the government while they are screwing us over right now. I think that sence they made it illigal it becomes more of a thing that would make someone want to do it. Thats like saying will driving in a car dont look to the right. 9 out of 10 people would look to the right. Now dont street race. Do you see what im trying to say?
yes mate nite street racing is the way forward completely agree... i know that every time i race there is a possibility of death but i can handle that risk and am ok with it
» left by Ryan from Urbana (176 days 11 hours ago.)
you need to turn in your licenses right away you have no clue about anything! News flash other people drive at night to so before you risk not only your own lives by being a idiot out there think well hey maybe this is the dumbest thing i have every done and don't do it i hope you get caught and never get your license back! Respond to this comment
» left by Jonathan ruez from houstan tx (151 days 21 hours ago.)
» left by giovanni from white center (1 year 176 days ago.)
thats so cool and i think rasing should be legal because its fun when you win money and its all about american muscle boy i drive a 2001 camaro 900hp
» left by jon doe from grenada, MS (355 days 22 hours ago.)
yeah you think "rasing" is cool and should be legal but its moron's like you that get people killed..you can't even spell..besides i agree that there is a time and a place for racing..and its not every red light you pull up to..i'm an avid street racer and i get embarrased everytime i see some kids racing randomly from red lights..thats not how its done and there is no reward..learn how to do it right..
Would it be fun if you messed up and lost both your car and girl? You may have the skills and want the thrills but no money is worth your honey; no car worth her scars.
» left by william james from reno nevada (286 days ago.)
racing is not about just to people at a red light. bout u being faster making a name 4 urself. havin fun i street race every fri sat nite. its my choice. my friends died 3 of them, i keep racing cuz thats wat we did. im keeping it alive. street racers just liveing there life one race at a time. people die useing drugs,swimming,fighting,smokeing ,cancer,....many things not just street raceing. i race cuz it takes my stress away. i rather die going 125 mph than sittin in my room doing drugs. at the end its wat i do wat all street racers do. oh and most deaths accur wen cops show up people freak out.....crash!!!!! and its our fault. again its our choice just worry bout u and do wat u do. we just livin life. no right way to race. line up wen ready......go!!!!
street racing kills so many people and all of you idiots who do it illegally are stupid because you could be the next fatality. don't you know any better? are your lives worth putting on the line just to win money and have fun with your friends? if you think so, then fine, do it. but you'll have consequences to pay like you dying, your friends dying, your car that you treasure so much getting totaled because of your speed. race when you're old and get to heaven. you can't die there again anyway.
» left by boy racer 21 from sla (214 days 2 hours ago.)
completely 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.
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.
» left by Jason from Los Angeles (140 days 11 hours ago.)
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.
» left by Jake from Omaha, NE (106 days 14 hours ago.)
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.
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?
» left by Johnny B Tuner from Florida (56 days 10 hours ago.)
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
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