This article wishes to spotlight the recent stories of Street Racing in the local Southern California news and how it can lead to such devastating consequences. It happens all too often among young people in our communities, either themselves victims of illegal street racing accidents or the tragic aftermath of having taken the life of an innocent person. When someone chooses to engage in this kind of irresponsible driving, there are truly harsh reality consequences to contend with and to be forewarned is to be knowledgeable about the fatal risks involved with such decisions. Just a reminder, that driving is a privilege and it comes with responsibilities for adhering to the guidelines and rules of the roadways to ensure safety for all drivers.
Unfortunately for all of us on the Southern California roadways, dangerous driving is on the rise and along with it comes a tragic increase in fatalities. As seen in recent news stories, innocent persons can become victims of street racing accidents that have devastating losses on both sides of the equation: A family having to bury their young child or the negative effects on the driver convicted of vehicular manslaughter, both are such unnecessary events that only lead to suffering when our world is already in much chaos. A thought for the wise, choose safety first and save yourself and others any more unnecessary loss or hardship.
California Vehicle Code 23109(a) defines street racing as a ‘speed contest’ and these four areas would lead to a person being charged with ‘willfully engaging in a speed contest’:
- You are a participant in a motor vehicle race
- This took place on a ‘highway’
- You willfully engaged
- The race was against another motorist or a clock
In 2020, the California Highway Patrol took more than 25,000 calls on illegal street racing alone and this was an increase of 3500 over 2019. The penalties for being convicted of street racing are up to 90 days in a county jail and fines of $1000 which can vary depending on the criminal history of the driver and any other charges or facts in the case.
Our Governor Gavin Newsom has until October 10th to sign Assembly Bill 3 which was recently passed by the California state legislature. This would increase penalties for street racing and would make it illegal to attend sideshows or the participation in actual races, in which case your license could be suspended and you wouldn’t even need to be behind a wheel.
At Ticket Dismissers, we want you to enjoy the independence of being a licensed driver throughout your years traveling the highways and if you should need us, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Keep it safe out there!