It is estimated that forty nine out of one thousand people die due to street racing and in the year 2002 there were an estimated forty eight racing accidents, one fatality, and sixty injuries. (Glensor & Peak) Street racing is dangerous, but shouldn't be completely removed, only made safer by setting up safe race areas.
Dangerous Actions
Street racing becomes dangerous if the races are set up in heavy trafficked areas. These roads are usually in industrial areas and are normally very straight. This offers the racers more safety since traffic will not become blocked or at danger from the racers and the racers have a straight clear road to race on. (Ramirez) In big cities these types of roads are few, but there will always be low trafficked straight roads no matter the location. Night racing can also be used for better racing conditions. This option however isn't the best option since the racers will not have good visibility. Making sure that onlookers are away from the cars and off the roads also make ideal racing conditions. Many of the injuries that happen due to street racing are from onlookers getting too close to the cars. Many street races are set up legally through the police who also make it safer as the police won't rush in frightening the racers and onlookers creating a panic.
Illegal Racing also involves gambling. Many of the racers and onlookers will place bets on the outcome even when they don't have the money to pay if they lose. The problem with the gambling isn't the fact that it is gambling, but that assaults take place for “failure to pay.” These assaults can be life threatening depending on the assailant. To eliminate these assaults would be similar to trying to eliminate all violence. The only possible way to stop the assaults would be to educate people on gambling or to try to eliminate gambling. The easier one of the two would be to just educate them since gambling in Utah is already illegal yet it always happens, and having people educated on the down side of gambling could stop many from performing gambling.
Dangerous drivers are a big problem in racing also. Some races are set up like "follow the leader" where the lead car swerves in and out of traffic avoiding other cars and all the rest follow. (Glensor) This is the most dangerous part of illegal racing since pedestrians, other drivers and the racers are at risk. The drivers that follow the leader will do anything to keep up with him/her including driving on sidewalks, in the wrong lane, through parks, and any other possible way. Eliminating this portion of street racing would make it so much safer that it could safely be made legal. This style of racing is the only truly dangerous part of street racing. (Glensor & Peak)
Traffic Impediment
Many would say that street racing may never be safe and will always be a traffic impediment. (Hinton) With responsible racers, who are out there, the race becomes just as safe as driving down the freeway. If these races are illegal, driving on the freeway should be made illegal as well. In fact, races on the back roads can be safer than driving on the freeway. The traffic impediment may be a problem, even if it only blocks one driver. This can be a problem but traffic happens all over naturally and on the back roads there is more than one road that can get someone somewhere. (Glensor and Peak) Traffic impediments only become a true problem if it is done on a major road.
Street racing can be dangerous depending on how safe the racers are. Safe racers will make racing a less dangerous hobby, but unsafe racers will cause many problems. The resolution to getting safe street racing legal is to fine unsafe racers large amounts of money and impounding the cars at the event. If a race happens on the back roads it is highly likely that no one except those there will even know it happened. Therefore it shouldn't be punishable by law. If nothing happens except the race there is no danger to it. The police even organize street racing events on the back roads which show that it is definitely safely done by certain drivers. There were twenty three thousand two hundred forty seven accidents in Denver city in 2007 with two thousand one hundred seventy three injuries, and forty nine out of one thousand is all that happens in street racing. Most of those street racing accidents are due to unsafe drivers so if street racing is made safe than that number would drastically drop. (Accidents in Denver)
