Street racing

Street racing
• Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal
form of auto racing that occurs on a public road.
 Street racing
• Racing in the streets is an ancient hazard, as horse
racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street
racing of automobiles is as old as the automobile
itself. Yet it became especially popular during the
days of hot rodding and muscle cars, and it continues
to be both popular and hazardous, with deaths and
serious injuries of bystanders, passengers, and
drivers occurring every year.
 Muscle cars drag racing in the streets

Hot rod drifting

 Modifying vehicles
• Some people confuse street racing and modifying
cars. They will assume a car that has a loud exhaust,
rear exterior or racing wheels is used for street races
and the driver is dangerous. But this is exactly wrong.
• There are two reasons why people modify, one is
because they are creative and like decorating to
attract people’s eyes. They ussually attend car shows
to compete with others. The second reason people
modify their cars is for performance on track day.
Modified BMW e46
 Motivations
• The opportunity to show off one's vehicle.
• To settle a bet, dispute, etc. between fellow racers.
• The simple and uncomplicated excitement of racing
without the entry fees, rules, and politics typical of the
sport.
• The excitement of racing when law enforcement is
certain to give chase.
• A lack of proper, sanctioned racing venues in the
locale. Most areas have little to no racing circuits
themselves, and few get built due to huge investment
needed to maintain and complaints about noise from
neighbours.
 Dangers

• Traffic collisions, including fatalities.

• Trespassing on private property.
• Auto theft rates.
• Public property damage in case of a collision.
• Possibility of armed conflict, terrorism, murder,
gambling, or other crimes, especially when street
racing is associated with organized crime or street
gangsters.
 Types of street racing
• Takeovers - can be described as gatherings by car
enthusiasts and street racers alike with the sole
purpose of taking their passions into the public eye.
• Drag – two racers compete on who can reach the
finish line faster.
• Tōge - form of racing in Japan involving two cars
chasing each other through a twisty course,
traditionally mountain roads. If the chase car catches
up by the end it wins, if the lead car pulls away it
wins.
 United States
• There is a strong racing
culture in California,
particularly Southern part.
It is considered to be the
birthplace of North
American drag racing.This
area was covered in some
depth by magazines such
as Turbo and Hi-Tech
Performance and Sport
Compact Car in the late
1990s.
 United States
• In some cases, this popularity has led to tough anti-
street racing laws which give stricter punishments
(including felonies for attending race events) than
normal traffic citations and also often involve
dedicated anti-racing task forces. San Diego, in
Southern California was the first US city to allow the
arrest of spectators attending street races. Penalties
for violating street racing laws now can include
impoundment and even destruction of the offending
vehicle and the suspension or revocation of the
offender's drivers license.
 Lithuania
• In Lithuania street racers receiva a fine of 170 – 230
euros and suspension of driver‘s license from 3 to 6
months.
• There is no specific felony for spectators, it is only
possible to punish them for violating street signs such
as no parking.
• In capital Vilnius every Thursday, just before the start
of a street race, organisers use Facebook to
anounce a place where the event will take place.