Colorado State Police Host Speedway Events to Reduce Illegal Racing
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Over the last year, dangerous driving behavior has increased even though there are fewer drivers on the road. One of these reckless driving behaviors that has increased is street racing. The thrill of speeding on the road is not worth the risk.
You endanger yourself, as well as other drivers and pedestrians on the road. On top of that, you’ll see a hefty fine and increased cost of
car insurance
. To try to curb street racing, Denver is trying to host legal racing events on a speedway, and using helicopters to monitor the roads. The
Denver Post
reported on the steps that Colorado is taking to reduce street racing. 
How bad is the street racing problem?
The Denver Post said that Colorado’s street racing prevention website received over 1,500 reports between October and April. In 2020, Denver police arrested 111 people involved in street racing. This increased from an average of 80 arrests between 2017 and 2019. This year, police have made 24 arrests.
Many reported incidents have emphasized exactly how dangerous it is for drivers to street race. A mother of two was killed on April 3 while working as a delivery driver. A man street racing downtown crashed his SUV into her car.
Street racers in Aurora blocked traffic for hours on Interstate 225, and locked in over 600 cars. Large street racing groups destroy property, and it’s been hard to stop since only a few officers can respond.
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How is Denver trying to reduce illegal street racing?
To try to reduce street racing, Denver has tried to use helicopters to track races and temporarily close lanes used for racing. One local group for car enthusiasts welcomes law enforcement officers.
For these meetups, they have rules that ban drinking, engine revving, and breaking traffic laws. Clubs that gather legally have also been discouraged from meeting up with the increase of dangerous driving.
The Colorado State Patrol hosts events at Bandimere Speedway for people to race legally. You can even race against an officer. The Denver Police Department and state officials are hoping to provide a safer option for drivers wanting to race.
What are the penalties for street racing?
Street racing is dangerous, illegal, and costly in multiple ways. You can be charged with speeding, reckless endangerment, and careless driving, which carries heavy fines. On top of that, in some cities, you can even have your cars seized as a result of creating a public nuisance.
You shouldn’t risk fines or losing your license and putting lives in danger, when you can choose to race legally. If you see or hear street racing in Colorado, you can report it anonymously at
ReportStreetRacing.com
. If you’ve developed better driving habits, it’s still possible to save after a reckless driving ticket. Alternatively, if you’re a safe driver, you might qualify for a
good driver discount
. In any case, you can use
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