Legal definition of drag racing?

[mswaim]

Just to add to the debate, here is the California vehicle code section that covers this subject:

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 any motor vehicle exhibition of
speed on a highway, and no person shall aid or abet in a motor
vehicle exhibition of speed on any highway.
(d) A person shall not for the purpose of facilitating or aiding
or as an incident to any motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition
upon a highway in any manner obstruct or place a barricade or
obstruction or assist or participate in placing a barricade or
obstruction upon any highway.

 

[epracmetcon]

Man, where did this happen? and what time? We were coming down 90 and almost had a close encounter myself.

 

[SinisterSHO]

I-88 about 1030 Saturday night.

 

[DaleM]

Given my history, and the tickets I just got. I think moving to Canada would be my best bet.

Your best bet would be to take speed challenges to the local tracks. I had a series of speed comps over the years that were mostly modified by the lawyer and the DA. With that being said and looking back, it was dangerous, senseless, expensive. While fun, not worth it.

 

[Nvp1986]

Just curious but are there any LEO in the state of Virginia that know the code for Virginia like some of the LEO's in other states have posted?

 

[WTF]

Just to add to the debate, here is the California vehicle code section that covers this subject:

23109. (a) ... 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.

:dw: :dw: :dw:


Well that's good to know... glad we have a 20 mile threshold to guage our lawfulness.

So if I'm speeding on my way to work, instead of giving me a, say... 75 in a 65mph zone infaction, they can give me a "racing ticket" because I was in a speed contest with my self (or against the clock) in a prescribed route of less then 20 miles? Give me a misdemeanor, impound my car, maybe even take me to jail, and rack up fines well and above 1 thousand dollars? ROCK ON! :rockon: :rockon: :rockon:

What do you think guys? Should we do the inevitable and hand them our keys now? Its easy to see the future - non-automated transportation of any kind will soon be outlawed and 'driving a car' as we know it will be a thing of the past. Then their won't be any more Accidents, DUIs, "Racing", Pursuits, Car-Jackings or any highway related evil-doings! Sounds great doesn't it? :thumbsup:

 

[jshen]

Can get worse?

Well how about on toll roads...the state clocks ticket entering and exiting toll road and computes time & distance for the speed....and you get a ticket if you get exit before/ahead of speed schedule...This issue has been discussed within several states.....or GPS systems on rental cars...trucks..etc...There ARE black boxes on certain cars that have information on conditions prior to accidents/arrests that can be downloaded...We did it last year on a "import" that was involved in a fatality....

 

[mswaim]

Hey, don't blame us (LEO's) for the problems we now face. Follow this link:

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11834803p-12549774c.html


This is but one of many recent accidents directly attributable to illegal racing. As always, the actions of a few will directly effect the future for us all.

The example of turning a speeding infraction into a misdemeanor racing arrest is not a valid one, but it represents a mind-set of someone who is willing to share the roads with others who choose to race "occasionally" when circumstances allow, right? Or when it's safe - late at night, light traffic.

The problem is, who determines when it's appropriate? Maybe when you and your family are driving along, alone on the road except for the two racers coming up behind you at 140 mph and at the last moment loses control, sideswipes your car with the resultant carnage? Which one of your kids is expendable?

In my opinion, some folks SHOULD turn in their keys now and save all of us the trouble of cleaning up their mess at a later date.

 

[WTF]

Hey, don't blame us (LEO's) for the problems we now face. Follow this link:

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/11834803p-12549774c.html


This is but one of many recent accidents directly attributable to illegal racing. As always, the actions of a few will directly effect the future for us all.

The example of turning a speeding infraction into a misdemeanor racing arrest is not a valid one, but it represents a mind-set of someone who is willing to share the roads with others who choose to race "occasionally" when circumstances allow, right? Or when it's safe - late at night, light traffic.

The problem is, who determines when it's appropriate? Maybe when you and your family are driving along, alone on the road except for the two racers coming up behind you at 140 mph and at the last moment loses control, sideswipes your car with the resultant carnage? Which one of your kids is expendable?

In my opinion, some folks SHOULD turn in their keys now and save all of us the trouble of cleaning up their mess at a later date.

No you’re absolutely right. No blame on LEOs, just a cry from the elevated frustration levels of a sports car enthusiast with our law makers.

I'm glad my example isn't valid because just on principle it's down right ridiculous, the idea of a LEO assessing 'the option' of choosing which offense he'd write in that said scenario.

However, the way I see it and the way the laws are becoming, I would be more willing to accept them passing a law that all cars be built to not exceed 65mph or accelerate at an illegal rate (electronically or mechanically controlled) and just be done with it! I'd rather have that then allow the public to dig their own graves, give them temptation, give them choice and have the state/city collect off of their mistakes, choice, or temptation.

Now when you give little Johnny the keys to your car, you’ll have the satisfaction in knowing that the likelihood of him getting himself in to trouble is severely limited in scope and is more or less non-exist. Sounds like a safer more regulated world right? We should also outlaw fast food too! They kill people too!

 

[mf150]

In my youth, I have raced to above speeds of 120 mph. For this I should have been arrested, and my car should have been impounded. When a bit older (meaning in the past 3 years), I got caught racing on two roads here in the SF Bay Area. One was on Mission Street (a 25 mph zone) and another on Old Bayshore BLVD.

The first time I got caught, I was being harrassed by a stupid Saab driver...I was minding my own business on the freeway, all the while being tailgated and ultimately cut off. I got in front of him, and he was trying to pull along side of me on Bayshore. I wouldn't let him...didn't know if he had a gun or what.

We got up to a stoplight and stoped...he was smiling, and so I decided to get the hell away from him, so I did a WOT pull through all gears leaving him in the dust.

About three miles down the road, I ended up getting pulled over by a Brisbane police officer, who had witnessed the whole interation between the guy in the Saab and myself. I explained what happened, showed my license and registration/proof of insurance, she checked to see if I had a record.

It turns out the police had also caught the Saab driver about two miles down the road. She let me go.

The second time was a spontaneous interation between me and a riced up import in a 25 MPH zone...I got pulled over and was asked to take teh keys out of the ignition by the SFPD officer. After checking out records and hanging onto our keys, the police officer read us the riot act ( which we deserved). He let us both go with a warning.

The point in my sharing this information is that even good people do STUPID things, and due to the fact that I had these run-ins with incredibly nice police officers, I have now curbed my road rage and stopped my racing.

Too much can be lost by racing or driving like a ****in idiot...some of which cannot be replaced.

Illegal racing is causing more strict laws and penalties to be enforced in an attempt to save peoples' lives. And I am all for this. JUST KEEP OUR RACE TRACKS OPEN, and build more of them.

LEOs are placed in a position to enforce laws that aim to deter the product of a bigger problem. Our law makers need to find the factor(s) that is/are causing the problem and do something about it.

 

[Mr. C]

Options

WTF leaves out one option in his rant. Why not just obey the speed limit? I too own a high performance vehicle, yet I've never been ticketed in it. And although it might be luck, I'm more inclined to believe that it's because I don't go around driving like I have something to prove. Then I don't have to come on here posting hypothetical situations to try to beat the system. There are other, less expensive means which usually involve working within the limits of the law to change things. Oh, I gotta go,don't want to be late to....

 

[WTF]

...Then I don't have to come on here posting hypothetical situations to try to beat the system...

The way things are going, a hypothetical situation may bite you in the ass.

And I'm not trying to "beat the system", the system has gone haywire! I'm responding to the realization of the unnecessary new laws being created based on congressmen capitalizing on the sensational "epidemic" that has a very low relative fatality rate when compared to every other killers of the highway.

The whole Street Racing thing mirrors that of a Shark Attack. Your chance of dying from a shark attack is worse then being struck by lightning and statistically speaking, shark attacks should be THE LEAST of your worries however as soon as one person is attacked, the media is all over it like flies on shit. The result is a public overreaction to fix the problem which inevitably causes more harm then good.

Btw, welcome to SVTperformance.