The Daily Campus

Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Commentary

Street racing, the sport of hoodlums and inconsiderate idiots everywhere, is coming under increasing attack in our state's capital. State Rep. Hector Robles recently introduced a bill that - if passed - would allow police to impound vehicles caught street racing for a minimum of 30 days. After the 30th day, the owner would be allowed to pay a storage fee at the impound facility and pick up his or her car. This is a great idea, and ought to be applauded.

Street racing is a huge problem. The unregulated races attract large crowds of bystanders who line the roadways cars speed down, trusting that the drivers will remain in constant control of their vehicles. Aside from the potential for a car to hurtle off the road into a crowd, there is also the problem that these races are conducted on public roadways. Innocent drivers could be driving along the road and have a street racer speed up behind them. Driving over 100 mph, it's not exactly possible to stop on a dime, so it is more than likely that the racer would crash into the motorist.

It's not just an issue of damage done during the race though; police say that an estimated two out of every three street racers use stolen engines or parts in their vehicles.

Originally, the laws in Connecticut only allowed for police to issue speeding tickets to the racers who were caught unless they are in possession of stolen property. This clearly didn't work. In a Channel 3 Eyewitness News segment from 2006, one racer said, "They're not gonna take us off the streets … they can give me fifteen $100,000 tickets, and you know what? I've got a credit card to pay for 'em." Now, police have begun arresting spectators, timekeepers and racers under new laws that went into effect at the end of 2006. Still, lawmakers say, it's not enough.

The proposed law to impound vehicles for 30 days is based on a similar law that went into effect in San Diego several years ago. According to Rep. Robles, street racing participation dropped over 70 percent after the San Diego law was passed. This kind of drop in Hartford would lead to an increased quality of life for residents. The fewer street racers there are, the fewer people have to fear driving at night, walking alongside the road or having their car ransacked for parts. The more police crackdown on street racers, the better off everyone will be.

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