Alabama cracking down on street racers

http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/New...iq3x0urgjw.cspx

Anybody know what prompted these changes in the law?

What needs to be done is get the station to change the wording in their report from "drag racing" to street racing

Definitely because they are reporting their story incorrectly......

Why?.......The story says anyone caught "drag racing" on a public road. A drag race is a drag race, when two line up side by side and race a measured distance from a "dig".....no matter where you do it. "Street Racing" can have many different forms, that being a drag race, a roll race, a circuit race, a course race or any number of other things. Sounds to me as they are specifically targeting "drag racing" on the streets and the crowd it draws, as there have been some spectator deaths in Alabama in the last few years

I dont worry about how strict the law is in Md about street racing because it does not effect me since I dont street race and wont street race. So I dont worry about the laws about it as of course we all know its not legal anywhere. I think muscle cars were built to run hard sometimes so thats why I go to the track like most all on here. Most of us did some street racing in our younger years but I knew then it was wrong and I know now at almost 59 years old its stupid and not worth the trouble it can cause so I wont street race as its just not a smart idea when we have dragstrips to race leagally.
I can tell you about 35 years ago when I was in my mid 20's I had a kid run right in front of my truck and I hit him. His dad was standing in the center of the road on the line holding his hand and as I drove by in my truck doing about 35 mph the boy just darted rightout in front of my truck and I jammed on the brakes but did not turn the wheel as I did not want to run over him. And it was raining out. The boy was bleeding out of his ear when the paramedics took him away. Thank god he was ok but let me tell you I was never so scared in all my life as I did not want that boy to be hurt. And even though it was not my fault which his dad even said to me I still felt very bad. But 4 days later when I took the mans umbrella back that I was holding over the boy when he was laying in the road the boy was out playing. But I always think .......what if I had been street racing and I would hit and hurt someone ?? I would never want to live with that so thats another reason I will not street race. Ron

Drag Racing is legal, street racing is not...........

Yes. Kinda like "the flag" debate, some car guys decry political correctness when it comes to the flag but want it applied to racing.

roll racing is legal, dig racing is not

"Roll racing" here, is defined and ticketed as "racing on the highway" and is certainly NOT legal

what racing is legal then? if they try to get you for racing on the highway, you could just say you were watching and weren't part of the actual race

On the street?.......the answer, NONE...........Who said any was?

I edited my reply above

In KY any street racing is illegal and as far as I know there is no differentiation between drag racing or racing down a twisting, curvy road. Doesn't matter if it's 60' or 6 miles.

yah the just watch part got me

Here in the PRK, even if you're not engaged in a "speed contest" a cop can cite you for "exhibition of speed" or "reckless driving" the definition of both is somewhat ambiguous. Spinning your tires but never exceeding the speed limit is an exhibition of speed. Spinning donuts is reckless driving.

23109. (a) A person shall not engage in a motor vehicle speed
contest on a highway. As used in this section, a motor vehicle speed
contest includes a motor vehicle race against another vehicle, a
clock, or other timing device. For purposes of this section, an event
in which the time to cover a prescribed route of more than 20 miles
is measured, but where the vehicle does not exceed the speed limits,
is not a speed contest.
(b) A person shall not aid or abet in any motor vehicle speed
contest on any highway.
(c) A person shall not engage in a motor vehicle exhibition of
speed on a highway, and a person shall not aid or abet in a motor
vehicle exhibition of speed on any highway.

I'll have to check with a trooper friend, but there are several violations that come into play. I don't know that one vehicle could be considered "racing" but if your state has a "exhibition of speed" law then yes, you could be cited. My guess is that it would be at the officers discretion. This is just my opinion, nothing more.

My car gets enough attention just driving, I don't even think a racing someone anymore. People are way over sensitive to a REAL car these days. Plus this little Gen III is LOUD above 6K!

Here in Calyfornua our elected politicos when they are not accepting bribes are closing down drag strips while building football stadiums and legalizing formally illicit mind altering substances.

Wonder just how many more traffic deaths will we experience as a result of massive increase in numbers of DUI's because of increasing numbers of these miscreants, certanly an order of magnitude more than those caused by street racing.

Almost lost my head again, almost forgot the increase in traffic deaths as a result of cell phones and texting while driving. 1st time offense was 50 buck fine, don't know where it is now.