An Austin Site I found
01-07-2004, 12:13 PM
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An Austin Site I found
http://www.austinmotorsports.com/
Check out the Texas Street Racing and the Law article on this site. I hope you all find it as interesting as I did.
Check out the Texas Street Racing and the Law article on this site. I hope you all find it as interesting as I did.
01-07-2004, 01:28 PM
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Law Article :
Texas Street Racing and the Law
As of September 1st, 2003, Texas has introduced and new set of Bills that will prove to have a drastic effect on those that choose to "street race" in Texas. In recent years there has been an increase in the media coverage of street racing and its damaging effects. Also, as I have been told, but have not yet seen or heard documentation of a public outcry for law enforcement officials to do something about this "epidemic" on the streets of Texas, as well as, the nation.
As written in previous articles here at AMMO, street racing has been around for many generations and for many decades has been outlawed. Hell, racing, in general, has been around since the first two Homo Erectus males chased down the same game. One guy lost out on the meal and the other didn't. I'm sure back then they had some way of flashing to everyone that they won, too. In an article "Tuner Revolutions Safety Panel Meets in L.A." found at the AZMotornews.com website, law enforcement officials and racing experts convened at the Peterson Automotive Museum to discuss illegal street racing and legal alternatives that are available to "tuner" enthusiasts. (At this point I need to interject that once again the media is playing out this "Fast and Furious" thing. Tuners are generally referred to as sports car enthusiasts that "tune" or modify late model compact, import or euro vehicles. For the record, tuners are not the only street racers. Don't forget the hot rodders and street rodders are equally active in street racing. What am I talking about, they invented street racing.)
Here are the highlights of the meeting which I found rather interesting.
According to Officer Jon Samson of the California Highway Patrol,
accurate statistics about deaths, injuries and property damage related to
illegal street racing are difficult to gather in the state because responding
officers can't always qualify an accident's cause as racing-related. Most
street-racing accident reports list "speeding" or "speed-related collision"
as the cause, so when the numbers are compiled, racing does not stand
out statistically. Only when there's solid anecdotal evidence -- such as
media coverage -- can the Highway Patrol attribute the accident to illegal
street racing.
(If these statistics about deaths, injuries and property damage are difficult to gather, then why is the media and everyone else continually say that it is an epidemic and needs to be stopped.)
Samson said in the wake of the "Fast and Furious" films there was an
increased awareness of illegal street racing and a corresponding increase
in citizens reporting incidents. But without solid statistics it would be hard
to prove that the films actually increased the number of racing-related
accidents.
(Here's that Fast and Furious thing again. The only way you're going to get solid statistics is to find a video recording of some guy stating that the reason he was about to slam into some oncoming vehicle at 90 mph was because he was watching Fast and Furious. Also, we hear of people reporting street racing incidents. I want to see the statistics that show the number of reported street racing incidents per month. We will pursue this information and provide it as soon as it is available.)
Only the San Diego Police Department has had the funding to accurately
track accident results related to illegal racing. Through 2002 the city has
reported 16 fatalities and 26 serious injuries from illegal street racing. The
CHP and other law enforcement agencies are working through the state's
bureaucracy to change the reporting structure, but Samson gave no time
frame as to when those changes would be made.
(I fully understand that the 16 fatalities and 26 serious injuries were preventable. Nonetheless, that many people probably died or were injured on the streets of San Diego in one, maybe two weeks. Far from an epidemic I would say. Don't forget, these are documented street racing statistics.)
Eric Lotz of the NHRA, Doug Stokes from the Irwindale Speedway, and
Toyo Tire public relations representative Jay Jones discussed their
respective street-car and sport-compact racing programs. The NHRA
encourages member tracks to develop street-legal racing programs and to
publicize them so local enthusiasts are aware they have a safe and legal
place to race. To Lotz, this generation of enthusiasts is not so different
than those who pioneered drag racing, and the NHRA, 50 years ago.
"They just a different breed of hot rodder with a different kind of car."
(San Antonio Raceway is one track in the central Texas area that has developed street-legal programs. Also, this sounds a lot like what I and many other people have been saying all along. Street racing is nothing new, so why the crack down?)
Scott Kelley, a long-time drag racer who campaigns a 300hp 1969
Volkswagen fastback in the NHRA's Sport Compact series, does see one
big difference. "Orange County, Riverside, Lyons, Colton, all those strips
where we used to race closed in the Seventies. These days you can buy
a 12-second car right off the showroom floor, but there's no place to
race."
Quick answer....give people a place to race. Population growth has been a contributing factor to inner-city street racing or as I call it, unorganized street racing. When people want to race, they want to do it now, not an 1 1/2 hours later at a track 90 miles away or even 30 minutes away on some narrow country road. It is fully understood that some city officials would feel as though they are condoning illegal street racing if they gave racers a place to run. Actually, it would be illegal if it were on a city street whether sponsored by the city or not. What would not be illegal is a sponsored or condoned racing on an abandoned airport runway. Anyone know where we could find one of those in Austin?)
At least, not as many as there were 30 years ago. But several southern
California tracks, and many more across the nation, have begun street-
legal race programs. Irwindale Speedway holds street-car races every
Thursday night, and typically more than 200 cars and over 2,000
spectators will turn out for the night's racing. Irwindale is trying to recruit
racers through its "speeding ticket" program, in which law enforcement
officers from 24 local jurisdictions hand out what look like citations but are
actually coupons for free race admission to tuner enthusiasts.
Replicating the street-race experience on the track is helping some
venues bring illegal racers into legal programs, said Stokes. Race tracks
in Orlando and Las Vegas have replaced their Christmas trees with street-
like stoplights, and several tracks are having good luck with "Midnight
Madness" racing programs that take place during the hours when illegal
street racing is at its peak. Irwindale would like to have such a program,
Stokes said, but its curfew (enforced to appease residents near the track)
won't allow racing to take place that late at night.
Stokes also said that illegal street racers who run at his track appreciate
its safety, but not in the way he expected. "When these guys race on the
street they're not worried about crashing, or about hitting innocent
bystanders. The street racers I've spoken to said their biggest fear is that
someone is going to pull a knife or a gun on them and say, 'No, I won' at
the end of the race."
"We know we're not going to reach the hardcore racer," admitted the
CHP's Samson. "Just like a hardcore drug dealer or gang-banger, they
reach a certain point in the subculture and they won't change. But we're
trying to reach the kids racing mom's Suburban or minivan, to let them
know there's a safe alternative to racing in the street."
Note: SEMA, through its Sport Compact Council, sponsors "Racers
Against Street Racing" (RASR), a grassroots enthusiast group that
promotes legal alternatives to illegal street racing. RASR has developed
curriculum and a video to be used in driver ed classes and is also
networking with local racetracks across the country to organize racing
activities.
Street racing is illegal and with the new laws adopted by the state of Texas as of Sept 1, 2003, they just got much tougher. Here at Austin Motorsports we do not condone or promote street racing. However, we like to have the facts and not hearsay or interpretation. We will pursue the facts with the State of Texas and provide our viewers with this data whenever possible.
We do strongly encourage that our readers recognize that there are places to go to race without jeopardizing the innocent lives of others. We do also recognize that people will illegally street race and hope that those that choose to do so, do it with the utmost caution. To further understand the legal results of illegal street racing we have provided information from local law enforcement regarding the new changes in the laws. This information was gathered from Texas Racing Scene which was provided by a local police officer and is strictly used for informational purposes only.
House Bill 1326 automatically suspends for one year the driver license of anyone convicted of illegally racing on a public roadway. Before the license can be reinstated, the driver would have to complete 10 hours of community service. The punishment for illegal racing increases to a Class B misdemeanor. The law also increases the punishment for drivers who are racing drunk, who have open containers of alcohol in the vehicle when racing, who seriously injure or kill someone during the race or who have been convicted multiple times of illegal racing. Those offenses range from a Class A misdemeanor to a second-degree felony. - Texas Dept. of Public Safety
"The minimum charge for racing, as defined in the statute, is a Class B Misdemeanor (One step above a regular traffic citation and a guaranteed trip to the Travis County Justice Complex).
The charge is a Class A Misdemeanor (just below a felony) if you were legally intoxicated at the time or have an open container of alcohol as defined in the Penal Code. It is also a Class A Misdemeanor if you've been convicted once before of racing.
It is a State Jail Felony if you've been convicted two times before of racing.
Important One
It is a Third Degree Felony if, as a result of racing, someone suffered bodily injury. Cliff Notes: If you get into an accident while racing and someone gets hurt, even in a minor way, it's a Third Degree Felony.
It is a Second Degree Felony if, as a result of racing, someone suffered serious bodily injury (like a broken bone or a permanent injury) or death.
Drivers License Suspensions
If you are convicted under this new racing law, your drivers license will be suspended for one year. You can get an occupational license that will allow you to only go to work, school, and home. If you are under 18, your occupational license will only allow you to go to school and home. BTW, occupational licenses cost upwards of over $300.
If you are required to perform community service as part of a conviction, after you complete the community service, you can apply to DPS for reinstatement of your driving priviledges (beg for mercy). They don't have to grant it.
If, while you are under suspension for racing, you get convicted of racing again, your period of suspension starts over from the date of your second conviction and starts over. This is in addition to all the "2nd Racing Conviction" penalties and stuff.
Keep in mind that Driving While License Suspended is a Class B Misdemeanor in itself. So, if you get caught racing while your license is suspended for racing, you'll get the Class A Misdemeanor Racing (if it's only your second and not third) and a Class B Driving While License Suspended. Plus your suspension starts all over.
For your reference for the different levels of offenses and their penalties:
Class B Misdemeanor: Jail for up to 180 days or a fine up to $2000, or both.
Class A Misdemeanor: Jail for up to a year or a fine up to $4000, or both.
State Jail Felony: Jail for 180 days to 2 years and up to a $10000 fine.
Third Degree Felony: Jail for 2 years to 10 years and up to a $10000 fine.
Second Degree Felony: Jail for 2 years to 20 years and up to a $10000 fine.
Also, there is a caveat to the State Jail Felony punishment. It states that if a deadly weapon was exhibited or used in the crime or while fleeing (that's running from the cops), then it's a Third Degree Felony. A car can be defined as a deadly weapon if used that way. Keep that in mind."
Texas Street Racing and the Law
As of September 1st, 2003, Texas has introduced and new set of Bills that will prove to have a drastic effect on those that choose to "street race" in Texas. In recent years there has been an increase in the media coverage of street racing and its damaging effects. Also, as I have been told, but have not yet seen or heard documentation of a public outcry for law enforcement officials to do something about this "epidemic" on the streets of Texas, as well as, the nation.
As written in previous articles here at AMMO, street racing has been around for many generations and for many decades has been outlawed. Hell, racing, in general, has been around since the first two Homo Erectus males chased down the same game. One guy lost out on the meal and the other didn't. I'm sure back then they had some way of flashing to everyone that they won, too. In an article "Tuner Revolutions Safety Panel Meets in L.A." found at the AZMotornews.com website, law enforcement officials and racing experts convened at the Peterson Automotive Museum to discuss illegal street racing and legal alternatives that are available to "tuner" enthusiasts. (At this point I need to interject that once again the media is playing out this "Fast and Furious" thing. Tuners are generally referred to as sports car enthusiasts that "tune" or modify late model compact, import or euro vehicles. For the record, tuners are not the only street racers. Don't forget the hot rodders and street rodders are equally active in street racing. What am I talking about, they invented street racing.)
Here are the highlights of the meeting which I found rather interesting.
According to Officer Jon Samson of the California Highway Patrol,
accurate statistics about deaths, injuries and property damage related to
illegal street racing are difficult to gather in the state because responding
officers can't always qualify an accident's cause as racing-related. Most
street-racing accident reports list "speeding" or "speed-related collision"
as the cause, so when the numbers are compiled, racing does not stand
out statistically. Only when there's solid anecdotal evidence -- such as
media coverage -- can the Highway Patrol attribute the accident to illegal
street racing.
(If these statistics about deaths, injuries and property damage are difficult to gather, then why is the media and everyone else continually say that it is an epidemic and needs to be stopped.)
Samson said in the wake of the "Fast and Furious" films there was an
increased awareness of illegal street racing and a corresponding increase
in citizens reporting incidents. But without solid statistics it would be hard
to prove that the films actually increased the number of racing-related
accidents.
(Here's that Fast and Furious thing again. The only way you're going to get solid statistics is to find a video recording of some guy stating that the reason he was about to slam into some oncoming vehicle at 90 mph was because he was watching Fast and Furious. Also, we hear of people reporting street racing incidents. I want to see the statistics that show the number of reported street racing incidents per month. We will pursue this information and provide it as soon as it is available.)
Only the San Diego Police Department has had the funding to accurately
track accident results related to illegal racing. Through 2002 the city has
reported 16 fatalities and 26 serious injuries from illegal street racing. The
CHP and other law enforcement agencies are working through the state's
bureaucracy to change the reporting structure, but Samson gave no time
frame as to when those changes would be made.
(I fully understand that the 16 fatalities and 26 serious injuries were preventable. Nonetheless, that many people probably died or were injured on the streets of San Diego in one, maybe two weeks. Far from an epidemic I would say. Don't forget, these are documented street racing statistics.)
Eric Lotz of the NHRA, Doug Stokes from the Irwindale Speedway, and
Toyo Tire public relations representative Jay Jones discussed their
respective street-car and sport-compact racing programs. The NHRA
encourages member tracks to develop street-legal racing programs and to
publicize them so local enthusiasts are aware they have a safe and legal
place to race. To Lotz, this generation of enthusiasts is not so different
than those who pioneered drag racing, and the NHRA, 50 years ago.
"They just a different breed of hot rodder with a different kind of car."
(San Antonio Raceway is one track in the central Texas area that has developed street-legal programs. Also, this sounds a lot like what I and many other people have been saying all along. Street racing is nothing new, so why the crack down?)
Scott Kelley, a long-time drag racer who campaigns a 300hp 1969
Volkswagen fastback in the NHRA's Sport Compact series, does see one
big difference. "Orange County, Riverside, Lyons, Colton, all those strips
where we used to race closed in the Seventies. These days you can buy
a 12-second car right off the showroom floor, but there's no place to
race."
Quick answer....give people a place to race. Population growth has been a contributing factor to inner-city street racing or as I call it, unorganized street racing. When people want to race, they want to do it now, not an 1 1/2 hours later at a track 90 miles away or even 30 minutes away on some narrow country road. It is fully understood that some city officials would feel as though they are condoning illegal street racing if they gave racers a place to run. Actually, it would be illegal if it were on a city street whether sponsored by the city or not. What would not be illegal is a sponsored or condoned racing on an abandoned airport runway. Anyone know where we could find one of those in Austin?)
At least, not as many as there were 30 years ago. But several southern
California tracks, and many more across the nation, have begun street-
legal race programs. Irwindale Speedway holds street-car races every
Thursday night, and typically more than 200 cars and over 2,000
spectators will turn out for the night's racing. Irwindale is trying to recruit
racers through its "speeding ticket" program, in which law enforcement
officers from 24 local jurisdictions hand out what look like citations but are
actually coupons for free race admission to tuner enthusiasts.
Replicating the street-race experience on the track is helping some
venues bring illegal racers into legal programs, said Stokes. Race tracks
in Orlando and Las Vegas have replaced their Christmas trees with street-
like stoplights, and several tracks are having good luck with "Midnight
Madness" racing programs that take place during the hours when illegal
street racing is at its peak. Irwindale would like to have such a program,
Stokes said, but its curfew (enforced to appease residents near the track)
won't allow racing to take place that late at night.
Stokes also said that illegal street racers who run at his track appreciate
its safety, but not in the way he expected. "When these guys race on the
street they're not worried about crashing, or about hitting innocent
bystanders. The street racers I've spoken to said their biggest fear is that
someone is going to pull a knife or a gun on them and say, 'No, I won' at
the end of the race."
"We know we're not going to reach the hardcore racer," admitted the
CHP's Samson. "Just like a hardcore drug dealer or gang-banger, they
reach a certain point in the subculture and they won't change. But we're
trying to reach the kids racing mom's Suburban or minivan, to let them
know there's a safe alternative to racing in the street."
Note: SEMA, through its Sport Compact Council, sponsors "Racers
Against Street Racing" (RASR), a grassroots enthusiast group that
promotes legal alternatives to illegal street racing. RASR has developed
curriculum and a video to be used in driver ed classes and is also
networking with local racetracks across the country to organize racing
activities.
Street racing is illegal and with the new laws adopted by the state of Texas as of Sept 1, 2003, they just got much tougher. Here at Austin Motorsports we do not condone or promote street racing. However, we like to have the facts and not hearsay or interpretation. We will pursue the facts with the State of Texas and provide our viewers with this data whenever possible.
We do strongly encourage that our readers recognize that there are places to go to race without jeopardizing the innocent lives of others. We do also recognize that people will illegally street race and hope that those that choose to do so, do it with the utmost caution. To further understand the legal results of illegal street racing we have provided information from local law enforcement regarding the new changes in the laws. This information was gathered from Texas Racing Scene which was provided by a local police officer and is strictly used for informational purposes only.
House Bill 1326 automatically suspends for one year the driver license of anyone convicted of illegally racing on a public roadway. Before the license can be reinstated, the driver would have to complete 10 hours of community service. The punishment for illegal racing increases to a Class B misdemeanor. The law also increases the punishment for drivers who are racing drunk, who have open containers of alcohol in the vehicle when racing, who seriously injure or kill someone during the race or who have been convicted multiple times of illegal racing. Those offenses range from a Class A misdemeanor to a second-degree felony. - Texas Dept. of Public Safety
"The minimum charge for racing, as defined in the statute, is a Class B Misdemeanor (One step above a regular traffic citation and a guaranteed trip to the Travis County Justice Complex).
The charge is a Class A Misdemeanor (just below a felony) if you were legally intoxicated at the time or have an open container of alcohol as defined in the Penal Code. It is also a Class A Misdemeanor if you've been convicted once before of racing.
It is a State Jail Felony if you've been convicted two times before of racing.
Important One
It is a Third Degree Felony if, as a result of racing, someone suffered bodily injury. Cliff Notes: If you get into an accident while racing and someone gets hurt, even in a minor way, it's a Third Degree Felony.
It is a Second Degree Felony if, as a result of racing, someone suffered serious bodily injury (like a broken bone or a permanent injury) or death.
Drivers License Suspensions
If you are convicted under this new racing law, your drivers license will be suspended for one year. You can get an occupational license that will allow you to only go to work, school, and home. If you are under 18, your occupational license will only allow you to go to school and home. BTW, occupational licenses cost upwards of over $300.
If you are required to perform community service as part of a conviction, after you complete the community service, you can apply to DPS for reinstatement of your driving priviledges (beg for mercy). They don't have to grant it.
If, while you are under suspension for racing, you get convicted of racing again, your period of suspension starts over from the date of your second conviction and starts over. This is in addition to all the "2nd Racing Conviction" penalties and stuff.
Keep in mind that Driving While License Suspended is a Class B Misdemeanor in itself. So, if you get caught racing while your license is suspended for racing, you'll get the Class A Misdemeanor Racing (if it's only your second and not third) and a Class B Driving While License Suspended. Plus your suspension starts all over.
For your reference for the different levels of offenses and their penalties:
Class B Misdemeanor: Jail for up to 180 days or a fine up to $2000, or both.
Class A Misdemeanor: Jail for up to a year or a fine up to $4000, or both.
State Jail Felony: Jail for 180 days to 2 years and up to a $10000 fine.
Third Degree Felony: Jail for 2 years to 10 years and up to a $10000 fine.
Second Degree Felony: Jail for 2 years to 20 years and up to a $10000 fine.
Also, there is a caveat to the State Jail Felony punishment. It states that if a deadly weapon was exhibited or used in the crime or while fleeing (that's running from the cops), then it's a Third Degree Felony. A car can be defined as a deadly weapon if used that way. Keep that in mind."
08-04-2004, 09:16 AM
#3
I used to hang out at that forum (texasracingscene.net) for a while, until I made the mistake of telling a bunch of piston heads that not all rotaries are slow. I got flamed something fierce after that, just a warning to anyone that visits, they hate the 8.
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