Tyson09

iTrader: (1)

i think its time to drive to ottawa...

ADOcivic

Careful... if you speed they will call it a race and crush everyones cars!

But seriously... that could be a way to create public awareness that the majority of people with modified cars aren't street racers... get a big group together from all sorts of forums, and get media coverage, and you could make a pretty good statement. If you can change public opinion on modified cars, that might cause the politicians to ease up. You have to send the message that street racing is unacceptable, but the fact that you have a modified car doesn't make you a street racer.

imported_egb18c

How come I don't see that Mustang being crushed? What about those Mercedes that were caught street racing last year? Bottom line, its the drivers that are the problem, not the cars. The police and government obviously have no clue how to target this problem, so this is there way of trying to show the public that everything is under control.

Tyson09

iTrader: (1)

doesn't matter what gets done people will find a way around it just like all the other stuff is illegal and still happens. the only thing u dont see anymore is **** fights, to bad

imported_egb18c

What about car manufacturers? Most will up the performance of a particular vehicle from year to year for the purpose of competition and sales. According to the government's logic, this should be promoting aggressive driving. Why don't they just mess things up even more and impose a power cap on new vehicles?

imported_egb18c

If anything, properly modified vehicles and their drivers are much safer than a large percentage of stock vehicles and their drivers, since most people put so much money into modifying their car, and thus are more careful when it comes to driving and maintaining their cars than the average person.

imported_newbreed

I think that's a great idea. I would be down for something like that.

imported_hdave

thestar is going to get a crapload of stupid e-mails from ricers now.. baahahaha

Nova_Dust

It is the operator behind the vehicle that matters the most.

They should hold Darknight at Ottawa this year.

civicnation

harsh u got that right. all the outraged ricers are going to add their two cents in and the star will not post any of their responses.

Me[kk]A

man...this reminds me of when mr. bryant introduced the pit bull ban... its still shocking that however far we've come as a race, we still suck in so many ways..

mr. bryant is very good at working his popularity as a "good" attorney general into a media massed culture of fear.. to give an example..i have a pitt, when the ban initially hit, people crossed the street and looked at me like some drug pushing white psycopath... (you might say i know what it now feels like to experience "breathing while black" syndrome) i chose breathing as a proper ultimate form of expression as my black friends have literally done something to bug a cop in every innocent way possible.. but i digress, now..since time has passed.. people come up to me, pet my muzzled pitt, and say what a damn shame and how its unfair... wtf??

this is just another BS law that doesnt attack the problem, simply attacks the symptoms and mostly affects law abiding citizens that abide by the law. i would love to read through this legislation when its public but i guarantee, anyone who does get their car crushed prior to any illegal action, and is in a perfectly legal situation.. there will be a **** storm.. reason i say this is because regardless of what law the charge is carried under to warrant a "car crushing"..how the effin way can this law be proven in a before circumstances warranting fashion? how do you manage to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the intent to mod is to race illegally? you cant.. pure and simple

to add, this isnt a communist country..for a law of such nature to permanently hold water you cant do it here.

i pray no one here has to go through this but i feel safe in saying if one of our cars do get crushed, a good lawyer will have you driving a far more expensive car after you take civil action.. no one can tell the future..and for people to assume and base their discretion on another individual before the fact (by the way how the hell do you do that?) is a good violation of any citizens' human rights

/end rant

zeeman

iTrader: (1)

pass that joint this way....hahaha

Gallagher

http://www.thestar.com/article/227900

Gallagher

http://www.thestar.com/article/227711

Nova_Dust

Will these ideas stop street racing?

Jun 21, 2007 05:45 AM
Mark Richardson
Wheels Editor
There have been calls all week for “something to be done” about street racing after the death this week of an innocent trucker. Let’s go through some of the ideas and see what will actually make a difference.
Throw the book at street racers. No arguments there, but the penalties were already increased before this week and the racing still occurred. Fines of $10,000 on conviction, impounding and crushing the cars, lengthy driving bans and brutal insurance rates all help, but mean little in the adrenal rush of the moment.
Increased enforcement. Again, no arguments, but there must be a cop on every corner to actually prevent all street racing.
Bring back photo radar. Fair enough, but only if it’s used as a deterrent to speed and not as a cash grab, as happened before in Ontario. There would also need to be an intelligent re-evaluation of existing speed limits that considers both safety and actual driving habits. Raise the limits on 400-series highways to 120 km/h and set the cameras at 125 km/h and few people would complain.
Provide more organized racing venues. Great idea! But street racing has an illicit thrill all its own. It’s the difference between the organized school prom and the parents-are-away party. This won’t make a dent in street racing.
Speed limiters on vehicles. This would seem to be the obvious one, like taking the bullets out of guns. After all, there’s no real reason why a vehicle on the street should be able to exceed 100 km/h; many trucks are already equipped with speed limiters, mostly to save fuel. But let’s be realistic here: such a Big Brother move would be massively unpopular. There’d be an immediate aftermarket in disabling the technology to allow drivers to think for themselves, which would prove such an expensive investment to be a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money.
Ban aftermarket performance products. You might as well ban track racing, where these products are intended to be used. Improved — and sensible — guidelines for police would be a good move, though. Sure, ban nitrous boosters, but why impound a kid’s car just because it has cool blue windshield washer nozzles?
Ban tuner cars. Again, the issue is subjective. Why impound a slammed Civic or Impreza while allowing a considerably faster Mercedes AMG or BMW M5 on the road?
Ban or limit advertising that promotes reckless behaviour. This is long overdue. But it’s not as cut and dried as cigarette advertising, in which the product is the problem — the problem is the excessive application of the vehicle’s abilities, so where do you draw the line? The government cannot ban such advertising, but media should instigate a policy that refuses to accept it.
Peer pressure. Ah — this is the only real and lasting solution. It takes a while, but then wearing seat belts and driving sober took a generation to drive home.
This is where the media comes in. We must show the consequences every single time, both human and judicial. We must make it clear that illegal racing is stupid and unacceptable.

It will take time to get over the hormones, but eventually the message will sink in — there’s nothing to be proved by street racing, except that you’re a selfish, murderous idiot who can expect no sympathy for your despicable actions.

Nova_Dust

Clamp down on reckless driving

Jun 21, 2007 04:30 AM
Two crashes on busy Highway 400 this week that are blamed on speed and dangerous driving have killed a 48-year-old truck driver, injured 11 other people and left five young male drivers charged with serious crimes. They are just the latest in a series of street racing accidents that have killed 36 people in the Toronto area since 1999.

And yet despite a move earlier this year by Queen's Park to impose stiffer penalties against drivers convicted of street racing, this reckless and irresponsible driving behaviour continues unabated.

Clearly, much more must be done by lawmakers, police and the courts to reduce these deadly driving practices. That should mean massive fines and mandatory jail terms for anyone convicted of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and especially heavy penalties should be imposed in cases where deaths occur.

Just as tough laws and a get-tough attitude by police and judges toward drunk drivers have dramatically changed attitudes about drinking and driving, so too might an all-out assault on reckless driving and street racing change how drivers behave behind the wheel.

To its credit, Ontario now has the toughest laws against street racers in Canada. This spring, the maximum fine was raised to $10,000 from $1,000. But if $10,000 won't deter drivers, fines should be raised to $25,000 or even $50,000, which would make some racers think twice before jamming their accelerator to the floor.

Yesterday, Attorney General Michael Bryant issued some additional warnings to street racers, saying police can seize and destroy cars adapted for street racing. But it usually isn't a souped-up car that's the problem, but a regular car or SUV driven at outrageous speeds.

That's why the courts must take a lead in fighting this scourge.

Currently, the most serious offence a driver involved in a deadly crash can face is criminal negligence causing death, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. But maximum sentences are rarely imposed in fatal crashes. Far too often, drivers convicted of street racing or other reckless driving get off with a veritable slap on the wrist.

For example, two young men last month received a year's suspended house arrest for killing a cab driver in 2006 when they roared up Mount Pleasant Rd. at speeds up to 140 km/h. The pair can go out to work and attend university. But the maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death to which they pleaded guilty is 14 years in prison. The Crown should immediately appeal these sentences.

At the same time, car makers should help a media campaign denouncing street racing and other forms of reckless driving, much as beer and liquor companies warn motorists not to drink and drive.

For too long, street racers who dart in and out of traffic playing their deadly game have gotten off too lightly. If that is to change, all of us must play a role to end this senseless behaviour on our highways.

Tyson09

iTrader: (1)

you know whats more dangerous then darting in and out of traffic, 80 yearolds in the fast lane...or bmw's on there cellphones eating a donut.

acciendents happen for a reason....so wud that still make them accidental?

imported_CRXXX

^^ true i hear alot of statisics on street racing yet distracted driveing im sure cause alot more crashes i honestly think "IMO" the papers and police make the street racing thing sound way worse then it is


espically like the video i just watched of them crushing a honda civic with rims...and the guy says "this car is a racing machine, only created too race" or somthing like that...some of the media actaully makes me laugh...such a joke

Double_B

Bottom line, there is bad driving all over, whether it be the 80 year old in the fast lane or the soccer mom driving her SUV or van faster than most cars on the road. Its all there, but the racing on the street is a major problem and I agree with the articles that Charles has put up. I have been reading all of your responses and listening to lots of arguments. The government has it wrong. Yes stiffer fines are needed and they need to follow through with them, but they also need to spend some money and drill it into everyone's head to stop with the street racing.

About two months ago, I posted about a true story movie that was on TV about a mother and daughter that were killed by street racing. There was a father and two brothers left to deal with the deaths. It was a made for tv movie but the end result the street racer and the father tour and go to schools together to educate and tell teens their story and hope that it deters others from street racing. I have stickied this in TCC Discussions with a weblink to the story if anyone is interested.

Click here for thread

If the government is going to follow through with this stupid idea of stopping cars before they do anything, then they should be doing the same thing to Tobacco companies before they ship out their cigarettes, but this will not happen as they get major cash from taxing them.

Its all a hidden agenda for parties and the public calling for something to be done and this looks good on them, but it doesn't solve the probem.

ADOcivic

Thats the first sensible thing I have seen in the star! They have probably been getting a tonne of emails.