Street takeovers and races may have the thrill of reckless abandon, but they now come with the threat of losing your car, jail time and hefty fines. NBC 7’s Dave Summers explains why people on both sides of the issue say despite harsher penalties, even more needs to be done.
The war on street racing and so-called sideshows is now being fought at the state level. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four bills into law that crack down on reckless driving.
The first one, AB 1978, allows law enforcement to impound your car, even if you're just a spectator. The second, AB 2186, says law enforcement can impound your car even if you are racing on private streets or in parking lots. The third law, AB 2807, clears up the definitions of "sideshow" and "street takeover" violations. The last one, AB 3085, says they can impound cars used in street racing, even if they don't find them until later.
Street takeovers and races may have the thrill of reckless abandon, but they now come with the threat of losing your car, jail and hefty fines.
"It just steam rolls into you. It went from going out for a good night with some friends to your cars gone for 30 days and you got 10s of thousands of dollars in fines," mechanic Kid Fruhman said.
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Fruhman builds race quality vintage cars. Although he's not a street racer, he has a finger on the pulse of the street racing culture. He is also a member of a group of San Diego car enthusiasts called Murdr Cars.
“I want to build the fast car, but I look at the ones that go out there on the street and drive like maniacs. They are ruining it for everyone else," Fruhman said.
The chaos of street takeovers is evidenced by the tread marks they leave behind. The risk, however, is not exclusive to the drivers and spectators.
Lilly Trujillo lost her teenage daughter, Valentina, 10 years ago to a street race.
“Losing my daughter, I think I will be forever dead inside,” Trujillo said.
She says her daughter was just hitching a ride home from a friend. She was in the back seat when the driver engaged in a street race that ended in a crash and the death of Valentina.
Trujillo now heads the organization Street Racing Kills. She works daily trying to educate kids about the dangers and to share her story with the street takeover community.
"These bills are making it just easier — a little bit easier for law enforcement to do their job," Trujillo said.
Fruhman says stiffer penalties will not stop street racing.
"It's going to die down for a while, then pick right back up," Fruhman said.
Trujillo says lessons on the risks would benefit teens before they get their license.
“Education is vital," she said. "Education should be allowed in every school there is."
While each comes to the issue with different perspectives, they agree on one solution.
“We need more speedways or burnout boxes. A city that would allow a place where these people can have fun,” Trujillo said.
It may be one way to respect the car culture but contain the threat to the community.
The new penalties penned by the governor take effect immediately.
