Street Racing Dangers and Deaths

Street racing happened long before the days of The Fast and The Furious. However, it seems that now it’s much more known whereas before it sat in the seedy underbelly of big cities. You can easily imagine a slew of cars drifting and jetting through big city streets in the dead of night.

That’s not the usual image of street racing, though. Typically you have two cars that just happened to pull up to the same stoplight before taking off together in a high-speed race. The people often accounting for the injuries and deaths are victims who took no part in the racing activities at all.

If you’ve been injured as a result of street racing, a local car wreck attorney in Virginia Beach can help.

Is There Street Racing Culture in Virginia Beach?

As of 2019, Virginia was leading the country in street racing. The analysis was 32 street racing convictions for every 100,000 people. That isn’t per 100,000 registered drivers, just residents. There is not just a racing culture. It’s the other way around. Racing has become part of the Virginia Beach culture. You see it everywhere.

Unfortunately, it’s led to many fatalities on our roads. Accidents at high speeds often don’t let many people walk away. Even people who survive high-speed accidents are often left with high medical bills, extensive injuries, and a changed life.

These accidents don’t just happen that night. A recent crash happened on Independence street, going double the speed limit on a Sunday afternoon. The idea that street racing culture takes place at night when normal people are off the road is far from reality. Anytime you get into a car in Virginia Beach, you can run the possibility of getting into a life-changing wreck.

How Can You Report Street Racing?

The best thing to do is to contact the Virginia Beach Police Department. If you witness the racing happening in action, then contact 911. They’ll ask you for extensive information and give as much as you can. Ideally, you’ll have at least a description of the vehicles and location.

Virginia Beach Police are well-known for a fast response. However, if you’ve just come into information about street racing, then you should contact the Police Department directly, not tie up the emergency line.

Reporting street racing at any time can help save lives.

Can Anything Be Done?

Absolutely. Police will often work within the community to actively identify street racing hot spots. But they will also involve others in raising awareness of the problem. Some organizations exist as well with the goal of proactively putting an end to the practice.

Stop Street Racing, one of these organizations, helps people assess how they can better explore their passion for driving and speed. They recognize that people should go to professional tracks, wear the appropriate gear, and participate in racing as a sport, not an illegal activity.

There are a few different types of illegal racing, and all take place on our surface streets or highways. Closed racing is the only option that often takes place on a “closed” or less-traveled portion of the city. But spontaneous racing, the most common form, can happen anywhere. It’s the direct rev of a motor and then the hasty take-off of the two vehicles.

What to Do When Your Crash Was Caused By A Street Racer

If your wreck was caused by a street racer, you might have been run off the road or even pushed. It was possible that your vehicle was crumpled beyond identification. For the victims who can walk away from a crash, it’s something that they’ll carry for the rest of their lives. The struggle of recovering physically is only part of the struggle.

Victims of street racing often have PTSD and even survivor’s guilt if someone else passed in the wreck.

Your Virginia Beach Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

Street racing isn’t limited to the streets of Los Angeles or Tokyo. In fact, many find that street racing happens in nearly every city. Wherever you find a souped Honda or Mazda, you can be sure that there is someone street racing. The goal, of course, is to end this risky behavior on our roads.

Anyone caught in a street racing accident is sure to have extensive injuries. Not only do these injuries change lives, but they often can lead to death. When you have a crash that happens at high speeds with little effort to stop or swerve. Get in contact with Virginia Injury Law of Virginia Beach, a reliable and skilled car accident law firm in Virginia. You can obtain legal support and guidance to manage your claim and possible lawsuit.