How Are States Trying to Stop Drivers From Street Racing?
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Empty roads mean that street racing is on the rise.
Speeding
can significantly increase your risk of getting involved in an accident, and also your cost of car insurance
. But this hasn’t prevented even some cops from engaging in illegal racing. What are the dangers of street racing and what are police and lawmakers doing to reduce it?
What led to the increase in street racing?
According to
Autoblog
, local roads and highways have less traffic because of the pandemic. In New York City, last year, more than 1,000 complaints of drag racing were reported to authorities over six months. This was five times the amount reported in 2019. Autoblog reported that on Nov. 21, a 52-year-old woman was killed by a driver in a Dodge Challenger who was allegedly street racing. The empty roads might tempt you to speed when you’re driving, but the consequences can be fatal for both you and other people on the road.
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Why is street racing dangerous?
Despite the fact that fewer people were driving, especially during the peak of the pandemic, traffic deaths in America rose in 2020, as mentioned by Autoblog. Dangerous driving behaviors like street racing and
DUIs
have increased, and so have hospital admissions as a result.There were even two officers who raced their patrol cars in Washington D.C., that crashed into each other. On top of being charged with reckless driving and other offenses, one officer was fired and the other is under suspension.
Reckless driving can lead to serious injury and ruins the roads where it takes place. A road in Portland, Oregon is filled with alcohol containers, and parking lots are covered with tire tracks.
Residents and employees around these areas have written to their city policymakers and officials hoping they’ll take action to curb street racing.
How are state officials trying to reduce street racing?
Some police are too overwhelmed to try to stop drivers from street racing, so they’ve tried other tactics. For example, in Denver, they tried to provide a safe area for racing.
In terms of
policy changes
, New York Senator Brad Hoylman introduced legislation that would allow state troopers to respond to incidents in the city. This legislation would allow New York City to use its speed cameras overnight and on weekends to monitor for illegal street racing in hot spots. Other states like Arizona have passed a bill to enforce harsher penalties for street racing and other reckless driving behaviors. The thrill of speeding is not worth it. You can still experience racing on a track instead of endangering yourself and others on a public road.
If you’re a safe driver, without any speeding tickets, you shouldn’t have to overpay for car insurance.
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