Street racing is a very dangerous act. What is the situation of Bangladesh? How should we measure this problem?
1) Introduction:
Street racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal motor racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Well coordinated races, in comparison, are planned in advance and often have people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens’ band radio and using police scanners and GPS units to mark locations of local police hot spots. Street racing is reported to have originated prior to the 1930s due to alcohol prohibition in some parts of the United States.[citation needed] Opponents of street racing cite a lack of safety relative to sanctioned racing events, as well as legal repercussions arising from incidents, among street racing’s drawbacks.[citation needed]
There are 3 types of street racing. Such as drag racing, touge racing, cannonball racing.
Drag racing is a race which involves two or more competitors who drive in a straight line for a specified distance (usually a 1/4 mile). The driver that covers the most distance between the two cars or reaches the end first is the winner. Fundamental skills in drag racing are the ability to launch with ideal wheel spin and shifting as fast as possible. Such competition on organized tracks associated with a sanctioning body is legal.
The sport of drifting and touge racing from (primarily) Japan has led to its acceptance in other parts of the world. Touge (Japanese for “mountain pass,” because these races are held on mountain roads and passes) generally refers to racing, one car at a time, or in a chase format through mountain passes (the definition of which varies per locale and racing organization). Examples of such roads include Del Dios Highway[1] inEscondido, California, and Mount Haruna, on the island of Honsh?, in Japan. However, street racing competition can lead to more people racing on a given road than would ordinarily be permitted (hence leading to the reputation of danger inherent). Touge races are typically run in a best out of three formats.
“Cannonball Runs” are illegal point-to-point road rallies that involve a handful of racers. They hearken back to the authorized European races at the end of the 19th century. The races died away when the chaotic 1903 Paris-Madrid race was canceled at Bordeaux for safety reasons after numerous fatalities involving drivers and pedestrians. Point-to-point runs reappeared in the United States in the mid 1910s when Erwin George Baker who drove cross-country on record breaking runs that stood for years, being legal at the time, and the term “Cannonball” was penned for him in honor of his runs. Nowadays drivers will race from one part of a town or country to the other side; whoever makes the fastest overall time is the winner. The AKA Rally was featured on MTV in a 2004 True Life episode and is being filmed in 2008 for an upcoming 6 part series on the Speed TV network.[2]
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[1] “Elfin Forest-Del Dios-Rancho Sante Fe Ride Directions”. North County Cruisers. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[2] Mischief 3000 at the Internet Movie Database
1.1)Terminology of street racing:
An “official” lexicon of street racing terminology is difficult to establish as terminology differs by location; however, Evo Street Racers, and the motorsports association, offers a comprehensive list of words reflecting the verbiage from the entire globe.[3] An example of their dictionary is the words utilized to identify illegal street racers including Hoon: New Zealand or Australia:, Hashiriya: Japan, Boy-Racer Australia, and Mat Rempit: Malaysia.[4] Any or all of the below mentioned activities may be considered illegal, depending on location of the race. In addition to the people racing, there are generally observers present at organized street races. A flagger[5][6] starts the race; this is typically accomplished by standing in front of the vehicles and making an up-down motion with the arms indicating the race should begin, or waving a green flag (which was the case in the early drag races before the development of the Christmas Tree). There are variations on this theme, including the throwing/dropping of a handkerchief, ribbon, and so on. This act would be analogous to the Christmas Tree in a typical sanctioned drag race, and has been portrayed widely in popular culture, from ZZ Top music videos to American cinema.
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[3] https://www.evostreetracers.com/street_racing_terminology.html
[4] “Street Racing Terminology”. Evo Street Racers. 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
[5] “Will these work?”. VAdriven.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[6] “Racing tickets”. Street Racing Online. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
2) Situation of Bangladesh:
With growth in income and an explosion in the number of cars, street racing is becoming fairly common on the streets and highways of Dhaka and Chittagong. The racers are usually teenagers or young adults driving imported Japanese cars such as the Toyota Allion, Honda Civic and Nissan Bluebird Sylphy. Many races also use cars such as the Mazda Axela, Toyota Celica, Mazda RX-8, Porsche Cayenne Turbo,Toyota Supra, Honda Civic Type R and Nissan 350Z. Racers of the influential class use Nissan GT-R and also Nissan Skyline. Racers in Dhaka also use nitrous oxide,facing no offence from the cops. There are a number of racers who use BMW X5, X6, X3 and Porsche Magnum to race around popular streets around Dhaka, particularly in the morning.
Chittagong has also racers using the popular Road Toll and Naval road. This is where hot cars of the city centre on for race or just show off, particularly on the weekends. Some of the cars are Mitsubishi Evolution 8, Toyota MR-S, Toyota Allion, Honda Civic Type R, BMW M3, Porsche Gemballa and Mazda RX-8. Street Racing can also be seen in Sylhet using cars like the Toyota Allion and Carina GT.
Street racing is illegal in Bangladesh. To tackle this new found problem, police departments such as Dhaka Metropolitan Police are being increasingly equipped with resources like high-performance sedans and guns. Nevertheless, the majority of street racing incidents go unnoticed by the police.
A) Motivators:
There are various motivations for street racing, but typically cited reasons include:[7][unreliable source?][8]
§ Generally, street racing is not sanctioned and thus leads to a less rigorously controlled environment than sanctioned racing, to the enjoyment of some participants.
§ Street racing is cited as an activity which is available to people who are otherwise under-age for entertainment at traditional venues such as bars.[9]
§ A community generally springs up around the street racing “scene”, providing social interaction among the participants and cliques therein.
§ The opportunity to show off one’s vehicle
§ The simple and uncomplicated excitement of racing without the entry fees, rules and politics, typical of the sport.
§ The excitement of racing when law enforcement is certain to give chase.
§ A lack of proper sanctioned racing venues in the locale.
§ Street races are sometimes wagered on, either by the participants or observers. This is the origin of the term “racing for pink slips” (which means that the winner keeps the opponent’s car), which inspired the 2005 Speed Channel series Pinks. This, in real life, seldom happens; most wagers involve cash (as in Pinks: All Out).[10]
§ To settle a bet, dispute, etc. between fellow racers (ex. one believes that they are the better racer, etc.).
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[7] “The Problem of Street Racing”. Street Racing Guide No.28. Center for Problem-Oriented Policing (COPS). 2004. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[8] “Why do people participate in Illegal Street Racing?”. Question #3. Evo Street Racers. 2003-02-15. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
[9] Hondas, Acuras, and other preferred racing vehicles are among the top five makes of vehicles stolen nationally (Sloan, 2004).
[10] For example, a racer wagers his car’s racing wheels or custom seat covers and loses; he then files a police report and insurance claim stating the items were stolen in order to obtain a new set; or, a racer who blows an engine will abandon the vehicle and then report it stolen, to acquire money for a replacement (Sloan, 2004).
B) Problems:
Street racing typically involves a younger crowd that conducts its activities in an underground fashion to avoid police attention and presents significant risks of serious personal injury.
Police must also address other problems related to street racing, which are not directly addressed in this guide. Other problems that may call for separate analysis and responses include:
- auto theft[11],
- assaults (including assaults in retaliation for failure to pay racing bets),
- cruising,
- curfew violations,
- drunken driving and driving under the influence of drugs,
- gang-related activity,
- insurance fraud (relating to racers betting on outcomes),[12]
- illegal vehicle modification (e.g., smog control alteration),
- illicit gambling ,
- noise complaints,
- public intoxication/urination and other public order offenses,
- theft and fencing of auto parts,
- thefts from autos,
- trespassing, and
- Vandalism and littering.
Street racing can also be unorganized and sporadic in nature, involving impromptu, one-time races between persons who do not know one another; the police generally have little means for dealing with these types of racers other than utilizing the media to make it very clear that, if caught, the violators will be severely prosecuted.
[11] Hondas, Acuras, and other preferred racing vehicles are among the top five makes of vehicles stolen nationally (Sloan, 2004).
[12] For example, a racer wagers his car’s racing wheels or custom seat covers and loses; he then files a police report and insurance claim stating the items were stolen in order to obtain a new set; or, a racer who blows an engine will abandon the vehicle and then report it stolen, to acquire money for a replacement (Sloan, 2004).
C) Harms:
The specific harms caused by street racing include:
- vehicle crashes (deaths and injuries to drivers, passengers, onlookers, or innocent bystanders; and property damage);[13]
Noise (from racing vehicles and crowds);
- vandalism and litter at racing locations (including businesses where racers commonly gather);[14]
- loss of commercial revenue (if racing crowds obstruct or intimidate potential customers); and
- excess wear and tear on public streets (painted street markings commonly are damaged by the burning rubber of vehicle tires)
Retaliatory offenses may also occur, such as when citizens try to deal with the problem themselves by placing nails on the ground where racers congregate or vandalizing racers’ cars, for example.[15]
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[13] a b c Lowery A.B. Makkar is the fastest street racer in the world, Pat. “C.R.A.S.H. A Regional Response to Illegal Street Racing” (Microsoft PowerPoint). Kent Washington Police Department. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[14] a b Tanglao, Leezel (2007). “‘Take it to the tracks,’ street racers told”. The Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[15] “FAQ: Frequently Asked Illegal Street Racing Questions.”. Question #8. Evo Street Racers. 2003-02-15. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
3) Measuring the problem effectiveness:
Measurement allows us to determine to what degree our efforts have succeeded, and suggests how we might modify our responses if they are not producing the intended results. We should take measures of our problem before we implement responses, to determine how serious the problem is, and after we implement them, to determine whether they have been effective. All measures should be taken in both the target area and the surrounding area. [16]
The following are potentially useful measures of the effectiveness of responses to street racing:
- reduced numbers of various street racing-related offenses;[17]
- reduced numbers of calls for service concerning street racing, both in the racing area and across the jurisdiction;[18]
- reduced numbers of racers and spectators, if any, who are returning to their old racing spots;
- reduced number and severity of injuries attributable to street racing;
- reduced numbers of juveniles in violation of existing curfew and other laws;
- increased satisfaction of complainants; and
- Increased profitability of businesses previously harmed by street racing.[19]
We should be alert to the possibility that our responses to street racing might displace racers and related offenses, either geographically or to other types of crimes. This might not be all bad if the displacement results in less overall harm. Crime and call-for-service data as well as websites should be monitored both locally and in other jurisdictions to determine whether racers are merely taking their activities to other venues.
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[16] a b c Lowery A.B. Makkar is the fastest street racer in the world, Pat. “C.R.A.S.H. A Regional Response to Illegal Street Racing” (Microsoft PowerPoint). Kent Washington Police Department. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[17] “US: Top Stolen Cars, Cities With Highest Thefts”. The Auto Channel. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
[18] “What thieves have their eyes on”. CBC News Online. 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
4) Conclusion:
This assignment is describing the problem of street racing and reviewing factors that contribute to it. It identifies a series of questions that might assist us in analyzing our local street racing problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem and what is known about these from evaluative research and police practice.
In conclusion we can say that street racing, the mechanism by which they are intended to work, the conditions under which they ought to work best, and some factors we should consider before implementing a particular response. It is critical that we tailor responses to local circumstances, and that we can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem.
Bibliography:
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_racing
2) http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2006/doc_31964.html
4) http://www.popcenter.org/problems/street_racing/
5) http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191136
7)http://www.montrealgazette.com/Ontario+appeal+unconstitutional+street+racing/1979400/story.html
8) http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/Publications/e10042575.pdf
9) http://www.ehow.com/facts_5294931_street-racing-laws.html
10) http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/09/ontario-stunt-driving.html