Members of The Talisman Staff do not encourage or approve of any form of street racing or any illegal activity. Students should be aware of the extreme risks associated with the safety of themselves and others in street racing. Please be aware of the legal consequences in street racing.
With high speeds, public roads full of pedestrians, and onlookers that are riled up and feeding energy to the already worked up drivers, street racing is a pastime that is very dangerous, but is still common all across America.
There are many different kinds of street racing that one might participate in. Drag races are generally the most popular among teens. However, full-blown courses are being laid out on city streets that include bendy roads and sharp turns.
Back in the muscle car era, the most common form of street racing was a simple quarter mile (it is usually laid out so that streetlights and natural features represented a quarter mile). The majority of races were held at the same spot every time.
When racing a quarter mile drag race, two cars line up side by side and come to a stop. A fellow spectator usually goes and stands in between the two middle cars to give the “go” signal. In cases where they line up at a stoplight, obviously when the light turns green they go. The first car to reach the end of the quarter mile checkpoint wins.
What do they win, people ask? People can street race for many things. Generally, it is to earn respect and recognition for the car being driven. Other things raced for are money, aftermarket parts, and in some extreme cases pink slips (which entitles the winner of the race to the losers car).
A more up to date form of racing is city racing. Instead of a straight line, city racing often includes turns, curved, roads and obstacles to avoid. This kind of street racing attracts more spectators because it is more interesting. However, it is hard to see the whole race.
When street racing, the racers generally end the race in the same place they started, making a loop through town. The course is again marked by certain checkpoints that everyone can recognize.
Street racing is more dangerous than drag racing because drag racing is just a straight line for a quarter mile; pedestrians and other drivers do not pose much of a risk against the racers. However in street racing, it is a much bigger course, which means a larger chance for a pedestrian to be walking across the street or other traffic to get in the way. Obviously, due to the apparent danger street racing imposes, it is highly illegal.
Police are generally able to capture random street races because they are usually not planned out. When races are planned out completely, there are usually lookouts and people with police scanners to know when the police are near so that they may warn the racers to stop.
When people get pulled over for street racing, if under 18 they will generally be given a citation and will then go to court. Depending on how many offenses already against the driver, they will pay court fees and lose their license for one to six months. In some places where street racing is prevalent, such as California, they have started crushing cars right in front of the drivers who are caught, in an attempt to stop them from racing.
Street racing is dangerous, and against the law. The consequences to being caught can usually discourage the drivers, but not always. Some say it should be legal, while many agree there should be stricter punishments for people who are caught.