Should street racers cars be crushed

[pnyk33]

With street racing related deaths on the rise across North America, governments and police forces are having to try new and drastic measures to combat the illegal and dangerous activity. On Wednesday in California, several known street racer’s rides were sent to the crusher to send a message to other racers that their hobby will not be tolerated.

Here in Ontario, a couple of loogans were “racing” on a major highway last weekend and caused a major accident which resulted in the death of a selfless truck driver who drove off the road rather than crash into the existing accident. The two that caused the incident have been charged under new street racing laws.

In response to this latest death, Toronto area police are lobbying to begin crushing street racer’s cars in a program similar to that in California. The difference is that in California, the cars crushed are those belonging to known, convicted street racers. Here in Toronto, the cops want to crush cars that are modified for street racing.

From the Toronto Star:

“Just on the balance of probabilities if we can establish that a car is being used for the unlawful purpose of street racing, we will seize it and you will never see it again.

“We will crush your car, we will crush the parts.”

Here is the problem: How are they going to determine if a car has been modified for street racing, or modified to improve vehicle handling, or modified for legitimate competition?

World wide, weekend warriors partake in legal, sanctioned motorsports events in their modified daily drivers. In most cases, these guys and girls drive like little old ladies on the street, because they have the opportunity to get their jollies out on the track. Many of these good folks are young adults, who may enjoy the same style of clothing and music as their street racing counterparts. How do the police intend to differentiate between the good and the bad, solely based on the modifications made to their cars?

Make no mistake, street racing needs to stop, but is it fair to paint with a wide brush just due to bolt on performance parts. In York Region, at Toronto’s north end, police have laid over 550 charges against street racers in the last 6 weeks. Why not begin crushing the cars that belong to those guys, who have already been caught. Then, suspend their driver’s license indefinitely. If they have no license, then they (hopefully) won’t be driving at all. Ever.

Manuel Hernandez reacts after his car and other impounded vehicles were crushed at Ecology Auto Parts in Rialto, Calif., on Wednesday.

[apg39]

Crushing someones pride & joy is pretty damn harsh...but if they are out there 'crushing' people in accidents then thats not a bad idea. Make them feel the pain (or at least 1/100th of it) that families feel when they loose a father/brother/mother/sister etc...

Don't think cars should be crushed for minor things like speeding (within reason) if the car is modified. Only to the extent that the owners are being d*ckheads. Suspend licences & put out descriptions of the cars/plates to help enforce the laws, excessive law breaking should then be met with impounding the car for an indefinite period.

Edited January 6, 2009 by apg39

[Simo]

Crushing cars is heaps gay. Why crush a perfectly good car when it can be used for a demolition derby.

[RME1]

^ Or Targets for shooting ranges.

Good article.

[Leroy]

I support both crushing and license revoking (only for offenders - not for 'hey, your car looks fast so we'll crush it' type cars)

Although... I'm more for confiscating it, stripping it, and then reselling it in stock form to a dealer. The offender will still have their license revoked, and should never see the car again, but at least its not wasting valuable resources and can provide a small stream of revenue to the government.

[Simo]

or it could be used to entertain bogans like my self at a demolition derby

[Dead]

Do you know Mikey Tran pnyk33? I imagine this would make you guys rather nervous. Sad to see they are handling it this way.

[spillige]

i dont know if i could ever pass a law like that, knowing the pain you would feal seeing your car crushed. on the other hand if its stops st racing then go for it, lessons are some times best lurnt the hard way

[SQU-47N]

Yeh i think they should crush the cars of ppl caught street racing, thats what the track is for. I dont wanna be hit by a car in a street race and be a paraplegic for the rest of my life, especially nowing they only got 6 months licence suspension. Real car modifiers dont street race or thrash thier cars because they have spent so much money on them. Theres my 2 cents.

SQU47N

[Rolla Boy]

I don't agree with crushing the cars...

Just throw the offenders in Jail for a while... One would think that'll teach them a lot more than losing their car...

[Ascendant Rice]

wow so theres a law that gives the goeverment the right to take something that you own and destroy it.... what a world we live in.

that being said i dont agree with crushing cars. Just throw them in gaol for a while and revoek there licence and force them to sell it or something.

[cuppas]

guys... its ok

they were crushing civics in that pic

[Leroy]

I don't agree with crushing the cars...

Just throw the offenders in Jail for a while... One would think that'll teach them a lot more than losing their car...

Allow me to get this straight... you're quite happy to say "there you are son, 6 months up the chuff for you", but then give them the car back once they've done their time?

That's like saying "Here you are sir, your sentence has been served. Now you can have your knife that we caught you with back. "

[Rolla Boy]

Put it this way...

Take someone's car off them and they're free to go...

They'll go get another car and do the same thing again...

If you send them to jail for 6 months I think they'll learn their lesson very quick...

I just don't think anyone has a right to destroy your personal belongings, no matter what the circumstances...

[mrs.sportivo]

I don't agree with crushing the cars...

Just throw the offenders in Jail for a while... One would think that'll teach them a lot more than losing their car...

Allow me to get this straight... you're quite happy to say "there you are son, 6 months up the chuff for you", but then give them the car back once they've done their time?

That's like saying "Here you are sir, your sentence has been served. Now you can have your knife that we caught you with back. "

cars can easily be replaced and obviously if the offender lost their license they will still drive tho if their thrown in jail they cant really speed or drive during that period

[RUSTEM]

I dont agree with the car's getting crushed i will have agree with Rolla Boys, people would not learn there lesson they will do it again as soon as there car is crushed, i reckon jail is the way to go...

[pnyk33]

Do you know Mikey Tran pnyk33? I imagine this would make you guys rather nervous. Sad to see they are handling it this way.

no i don`t know him , this is not official here in Fla. but thy are geting hard on the guys that get caught. :D

[pnyk33]

Street racing has been going on since they made cars. But the media/police have focused alot of there attention on imports and left the domestic morons alone I wonder what that is all about. Its profiling at its finest and noone gives a damn because most of us are younger and the cops like to abuse their power and intimidate. The sad part is the majority of us enthusiast do drive normal and blow it out on the weekend at the track. Its that old saying a few bad apples............ But I would love to see what they would do if someone in a highly modded domestic that was caught street racing as well you think they would crush that minty 68 Camaro. I highly doubt it they make more money off righting people in imports tickets for exhaust and altered suspension and all kinds of stupid ***** while the muscle cars can shake my house when they roll by. But will crushing cars stop or deter street racing nope not one bit this is there alternative to opening tracks I suppose makes total sense........

[SuperDave]

Here in Toronto, the cops want to crush cars that are modified for street racing.

I can't see this standing up in court, suspicion is not grounds to find someone guilty.

I think governments need to stop with band aid solutions and ask these people why they are doing what they do? I think they will find it is a combination of their lack of maturity, in which case they can lose their licence for a while until they become more mature, and no areas where they can cheaply go and show off their car. I hate burnouts as much as the next sain person, but some see it as a means of showing off so why not give them somewhere cheap and near civilisation that allows them to do this? Same with drag racing and circuit racing. Only downside I see to this is the fact safety rules will need to be implemented which might deter the brain dead...

[leasaunce]

I don't agree with crushing the cars...

Just throw the offenders in Jail for a while... One would think that'll teach them a lot more than losing their car...

our jail is becoming full. this is why you get alot of people doing community service instead of jail in time!

[Nellie]

End of the day, its not the cars that are offending, its the people behind the wheel of those modified cars.

And what does a "modified" car have to do with street racing. I've seen stock standard/rusted/old cars "street race" before!!

If someones gonna do it, they're gonna do it, regardless of the type of car.

Basically i think its the drivers that need the punishment, the car is just a hunk of metal in the end.

[spillige]

i think superdave makes some good points, i dont think crushing some ones car is that harsh, if u look at some countries laws (islamic law states if your caught steeling the hand u used for that crime shall be cut off) i think crushing some ones car do be a small price to pay, at the chance of saving some ones life. allso indefinite licance suspension is a good idea 0 tolarance for people caught street racing, with chance of a reveiw

[Blind Kid Seeks]

repet offenders (impounded 3 times) should have the cars confiscated permanantly, then they should be sold off at Auction and the profits should benefit directly the TAC.

[whitestivo]

I think if you drive a skyline with a 3"exhaust and it's not a GTR, then you should have your car crushed.

that will fix a big part of the problem.

whitestivo

[Simo]

LOL