Recently on this blog I reported on California’s statewide effort to “crack down” on street racing.
There were several means that California used in their increased efforts, including increased patrols and new legislation developed with street racing specifically in mind.
The most notable was new legislation that allowed cars that were used in illegal street races to be seized by law enforcement, impounded, and then auctioned off to the highest bidder at a government auction.
Recently, the California State Supreme Court ruled that California law pre-empts local entities from enacting such legislation.
Many local officals say they lost a powerful tool in the fight against street racing,
Ontario police Detective Jeff Higbee, who launched the city’s anti-illegal racing task force in 2005, said,
“I know from talking to guys out on the street, in racing and even in the schools, that was definitely a deterrent for them.”
While this may be a speed bump in the road to eventually eliminating street racing, police are still ramping up patrol efforts in Ontario and other California cities where street racing is an ongoing problem.
Additionally, police can still impound a vehicle caught engaged in an illegal street race for up to 30 days, and force the driver to pay up to a $1,500 fine.
However, at this point, the potentially hazardous driver is back on the streets- and in the same vehicle.
Time will tell whether or not a month of walking, and a $1,500 dollar dent in the checking account is enough to dissuade these would-be racers from making the same mistake again.
At this point the city is working on passing new legislation, named Bill 1724, which would allow the city to auction off the vehicles of those with facing their second racing offense.
The bill is scheduled to be brought before the Ontario Public Safety Committee this Tuesday.
One has to wonder whether the city is in for a lengthy legal battle between the State Supreme Court and the City government, as city officials and local law enforcement believe strongly in the effectiveness of this legislation.
