Illegal Street Racing: The Legal Solution

Legal street racers under the auspices of Race Legal.

In recent years, with the return of high-performance cars and the rise of the souped-up rice burners, street racing has reached epidemic proportions across the country, resulting in many deaths - of drivers, onlookers and innocent bystanders. Consider the stats below, compiled by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) from a variety of national and state transportation agencies, and it becomes obvious that a legal street racing solution is not just the best way, but the only way to solve this serious problem.

Race Legal is a community-based, legally-organized track racing alternative to illegal street racing. Based in San Diego, it has helped reduce organized illegal street racing activity in the San Diego area by an astounding 99%; and has also improved illegal street racing involved crash mortality/morbidity by 79%. Read more about Race Legal and their mission statement.


Kristen Goodman, a San Diego-based cashier, proudly holds her trophy, won racing her father's 5-speed 2003 Ford Focus ZX3, in a legal and safe race, sponsored by Race Legal. Read more about Kristen in her racer profile.


Another street legal racer proudly displays her winning trophy.

Visit the Race Legal web site for more information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The NHRA Illegal Racing Stats

In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that police listed street racing as a factor in 135 fatal crashes. The total was up from 72 street-racing-related fatalities reported in 2000.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, more than 800 citations for illegal street racing were issued in 2001.

In San Diego, where the street racing problem has been termed "epidemic," 16 deaths and 31 injuries were directly related to illegal street racing in 2001. The city's attorney's office prosecuted 147 illegal street racing cases in 1999, 161 in 2000, and 290 in 2001.

In Florida in 2001, 7,216 citations were issued for racing on the highway.

According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 20.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says 5,749 teens died in the United States from motor vehicle crash injuries in 1999.

Read the complete statistics at the NHRA web site.

[© Copyright 2003, NHRA]
[Photos: ©2004 Jess Van Wickle, from RaceLegal.com]