The consequences of street racing

[codesurge]

Dang, this just in. Worst thing is that it seems like the fatalities were all members of the crowd.

I guess it was only a matter of time before something like this happened, but expect an ever harsher clampdown on street races in the near future.

[D-Fence]

happened in Germany some years ago...huge tuning meet, some morons race down a street...hits crowd, a girl dies.

[C53A_4G63T]

Don't be an idiot and race a big Crown Vic? Also, never stand at the end of the race. When I used to go, it was at the starting line or no where.

[MattD1zzl3]

Also never park your cars in neat rows along the race path, WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by codesurge

Dang, this just in. Worst thing is that it seems like the fatalities were all members of the crowd.

I guess it was only a matter of time before something like this happened, but expect an ever harsher clampdown on street races in the near future.

Street racing is already a felony in Texas. So is being a spectator at a street race.

[Cobol74]

Not a good thing to do - Street Racing - the innocent suffer.

[73GMCSprint]

I am in no way condoning street racing, but did anyone else even clue in to the fact that the Crown Vic wasn't even in the race???

[tigger]

Idiots. If you walk into the middle of a highway at night, what do you expect?

[bartboy9891]

"There were just bodies everywhere; it was horrible," said Crystal Gaines, 27, whose father was among the dead.

Gaines said she grabbed her child but could not help her father, William Gaines Sr., 61.

Why would you bring your kids to a street race?

[MattD1zzl3]

Originally Posted by Spectre

Street racing is already a felony in Texas. So is being a spectator at a street race.

Yeesh, yet another reason for me never to set foot in texas. I dont do the whole street racing thing (beyond hitting it a little bit with friends if we happen to be driving around together. Maybe i bust the speed limit for 10 seconds but thats as deadly as it gets.) But i do enjoy hanging around the meets, i've been busted with spectator tickets before, but a felony seems a little extreme.

[KaJuN]

I'm not at all familiar with Texas law but does that mean watching a street race carries a stiffer penalty than driving drunk?

[thedguy]

Originally Posted by MattD1zzl3

Yeesh, yet another reason for me never to set foot in texas. I dont do the whole street racing thing (beyond hitting it a little bit with friends if we happen to be driving around together. Maybe i bust the speed limit for 10 seconds but thats as deadly as it gets.) But i do enjoy hanging around the meets, i've been busted with spectator tickets before, but a felony seems a little extreme.

California has massive fines and penalties for watching as well. It's part of why everyone parks in a line facing the street at races... they can GTFO quickly that way.

[gtrietsc]

Originally Posted by 73GMCSprint

I am in no way condoning street racing, but did anyone else even clue in to the fact that the Crown Vic wasn't even in the race???

Ding ding ding, WINNER

[MattD1zzl3]

Originally Posted by thedguy

California has massive fines and penalties for watching as well. It's part of why everyone parks in a line facing the street at races... they can GTFO quickly that way.

I'm aware of how to "gtfo" quickly. But i think a felony for watching is a little extreme, hell, i think a felony for racing is extreme if nobody is hurt.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by Cobol74

Not a good thing to do - Street Racing - the innocent suffer.

really? Okay I'm NOT a fan of street-racing or all the idiotic stereotypes it associates with people who genuinely like cars, and I'm probably one of the few who goes to tracks and auto-crosses to get my racing kicks. With that said the mortality rate of street racing compared to everyday things like laziness and drunkeness is almost none-existent.

For example in the last 6 years there have been 33 deaths related to street racing in Ontario, which sucks, but then in 1987 there were 58 deaths on Snowmobiles alone. Furthermore if you look at that number as a percentage it breaks it down to somewhere between 0.4% and 0.6% of Total deaths due to street racing. Now if you can somehow seriously look at the more then 1/3 deaths do to seatbelts, 15-20% due to fatique and similar 20-40% due to drunk driving and then say that street racing is the biggest issue then i honestly can not associate you with somebody who is "sane".



Side Note:I'm having a very hard time finding the records of Ontario traffic fatalities, although i did find something that said over 1300 in 2007, and another that said something over 900, if you can find the exact stats for the last 6 years i'd be happy to update my percentages.

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

I'm not at all familiar with Texas law but does that mean watching a street race carries a stiffer penalty than driving drunk?

It's a little more complex than that. When I made the earlier comment I was pressed for time. Here's how it works in Texas:

First time you get busted for street racing or spectating, it's a class B misdemeanor. This is punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail, a fine not to exceed $2000, and up to 2 years probation or 3 years with an extension. You will also have your license suspended for one year and you must perform 10 hours of community service (and in Texas, cushy community service jobs are rare - mostly you get to pick up trash by the side of the road in the hot summer sun).

This is the same punishment for drunk driving, except in that case, you also lose your license for at least three months to one year.

Now, here's where it gets a little weird. The above assumes that you didn't injure anyone while street racing, and that you were not drunk or in possession of an open container of alcohol while spectating or actually racing. If you were drunk or had that beer there, the punishment skips the "first offense" level and goes to the "second offense" sentence. This is the class A misdemeanor. Because of the potential length of the sentence, the Feds consider this a felony conviction for firearms ownership and other purposes. So do many non-Texas employers. This is also the same punishment for a second DUI conviction. You can get up to 1 year in the county jail, a fine not to exceed $4000, and up to 2 years probation or 3 years with an extension. Again, the same license suspension and community service obligation as above.

Get convicted a third time, it's a state jail felony. 180 days to 2 years in jail, $10,000 fine, license suspended for an additional year.

Injure someone while involved in street racing, and you will get hit with a third-degree felony charge. 2-10 years in jail, $10,000 fine, the permanent license revocation will be the least of your worries as your new cellmate Bubba comes to know you *real* well. This is the same punishment for a third DUI conviction.

Seriously injure or kill someone while involved in street racing, and on top of the manslaughter/murder charges, you will get hit with a second-degree felony charge. 2-20 years in jail, $10,000 fine, hope your butt can stand the pounding.

So, essentially, it's treated as seriously as DUI.

[gtrietsc]

I see the intention that legislature had in enacting our laws that prohibit spectating, but the civil libertarian in me takes issue. For instance, what is the standard of proof that must be met to prove you were spectating? And how does this affect the right of people to peaceably assemble? What of the press - this essentially makes filming a documentary, for instance, illegal.

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by gtrietsc

I see the intention that legislature had in enacting our laws that prohibit spectating, but the civil libertarian in me takes issue. For instance, what is the standard of proof that must be met to prove you were spectating? And how does this affect the right of people to peaceably assemble? What of the press - this essentially makes filming a documentary, for instance, illegal.

Yeah, that's a problem with the law as it stands right now. The legislature will be back in session in 2009 (for those that don't know, in Texas the state legislature meets only once every two years, then the legislators have to go back and live with the laws they've passed and the reactions of their neighbors for the remainder of that time. It keeps a lot of stupidity from getting passed), and it will probably get fixed then.

[Quadrax]

In the Street Race context it seems so stupid. Yet rally spectators put themselves in as much if not more danger all the time.