Illegal Street Racing On America's Streets.
Illegal street racing has been around for many years before my time. The racing scene became more popular after the release of "The Fast and The Furious." The West Coast being one of the most popular areas of the illegal racing scene, but the East Coast as well has many areas of street racing. Both municipal and state police are trying to put a stop to street racing around the country. Police look at these racers as a forest fire, deadly to themselves and others around them. If the flame is not put out, the casualties grow day by day. Officials have used various techniques to stop street racers, from the well-known ticket book, to even laying down spike strips on the road. .
For starters, South Hampton State Police laid die spike strips, trying to put an end to Illegal Street racing on the Wantagh and Ocean Parkways, near Jones Beach. At approximately 11:00 p.m., State Police viewed about seventy-five vehicles looking for a strip to race on. The enthusiasts were between the age of sixteen and thirty years old. Many racers coming form as far away as Georgia, New Jersey, and Queens. Police strategically placed several roadblocks equipped with stinger spike strips, hard plastic laminate covered with two-inch spikes that fold up like an accordion. They stretched across the roadway and are designed to deflate tires while minimizing the risk of cars loosing control. Police issued 91 vehicles and traffic summonses for a number of violations, impounded several cars and wrote tickets for unauthorized racing, which is known to be a misdemeanor. The spikes deflated tires on about 20 or so cars that were trying to elude police. Drivers attempting to escape police ran into one of several roadblocks. The State Police learned details about illegal street racing from investigations into several accidents that were considered to be for such illegal street racing.