Street racing - how bad is the problem in your area?

[Nawdy]

Here in Darwin, we have a real problem with illegal street racing/hooning. Last Friday night, over 130 cars were in one area when the local cops hit. There were people bring chairs to sit in, and mothers had brought babies down to watch.... I wasn't there, but have heard about it.

The lives of hundreds of people - including babies in prams - were put at risk during an illegal drag-racing event at Berrimah over the weekend, a report says.

``There were women, children, babies in prams - all lined up right next to the drag-racing strip,'' police said in the Northern Territory News report.

``All it would have taken was for one tyre to blow out and a car would have ended up in the crowd."

Police swooped on the Trade Development Zone at Berrimah, Darwin, on Friday and Saturday nights to shut down the illegal drag races.

Some of the drag racers had travelled from Katherine to take part in the illegal races after hearing about them through an underground network of young car enthusiasts, the report says.

Taken from here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=49026

It has also been on the local news.

[BA$TAD]

don't have street racing as such but we have guys doing burnouts all the time on the street leading into our court. It never really bothered me so much before but of late i have noticed we have more and more small children riding around. It only takes one slip up from these "heroes" to kill a kid. I reported it to the cops but they said i have to fill in some dob in a hoon form. So i am waiting for them to do it again. The funny thing is the tyre marks lead to the house doing it. The street looks like a drag strip with all the tyre marks.

[HSVGTS]

Maybe State Governments, Main Road Dept’s and Police should start spending money on places where people can do this sort of thing safely, instead of spending money on promoting themselves on TV ads.

The problem is not going away, it seems to be growing. A proactive approach by the authorities to get hooning off the streets and onto Friday, Saturday night street meets at drag strips would help.

All the authorities are doing is trying to brand young people interested in cars as anti social hoons, they maybe to some but if the youth aren’t provided with a place to display their interest they’ll do it on the street whether we agree with it or not.

I don’t know if anything is done for the car youth throughout Australia but here in cairns there’s nothing. I like the idea in Townsville where they open the drag strip on some nights for the public to pay some $’s and drag all night.

At Present: Try and brand car enthusiasts as antisocial to the public under the guise of road safety gain some support from public and media then hit em hard with fines and take their cars = cash to Govt. NOT GOOD, POLICE PRICKS

Or: Spend a bit of money to take em off the street onto a drag strip promote it gain respect and support = road safety. GOOD, POLICE RESPECTED

It may not be the answer, but that’s what I think.
I feel better now…………….regards

[BLACK 346]

Maybe State Governments, Main Road Dept’s and Police should start spending money on places where people can do this sort of thing safely, instead of spending money on promoting themselves on TV ads.

The problem is not going away, it seems to be growing. A proactive approach by the authorities to get hooning off the streets and onto Friday, Saturday night street meets at drag strips would help.

All the authorities are doing is trying to brand young people interested in cars as anti social hoons, they maybe to some but if the youth aren’t provided with a place to display their interest they’ll do it on the street whether we agree with it or not.

I don’t know if anything is done for the car youth throughout Australia but here in cairns there’s nothing. I like the idea in Townsville where they open the drag strip on some nights for the public to pay some $’s and drag all night.

At Present: Try and brand car enthusiasts as antisocial to the public under the guise of road safety gain some support from public and media then hit em hard with fines and take their cars = cash to Govt. NOT GOOD, POLICE PRICKS

Or: Spend a bit of money to take em off the street onto a drag strip promote it gain respect and support = road safety. GOOD, POLICE RESPECTED

It may not be the answer, but that’s what I think.
I feel better now…………….regards

Like this you mean?

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=37941&highlight=beat+heat

[VQ304]

I live in Melbourne's northern suburbs, it's drag racing central here. Always fresh black lines down my street.

I guess it doesn't really bother me much, I'm used to it having lived here my whole life. What does annoy me though is all the bogans who want a race whenever I pull up at a red light. Seriously, if I go out after about 9pm at night, about 50% of the cars on the road are full sik re's going for a cruise.

As for taking babies in prams to the drags, that's just moronic. The parents obviously don't care about their kids safety at all.

[vaughn]

I was offered a 2K bet to race some guy in Dandenong, winner takes all. (even if i had 2k i wouldent do it).
So yes i agree...spend the money getting em off the road.
Anti hooning laws wont get rid of them...taking there cars wont stop street drags, They have the money and will power to just start over in a new car.

[OLS108]

we have a little problem here In redcliffe, you may remember se or hearing about the lady who was cought doing 140+k's with her three kids in the Car. :eek:

[HSVGTS]

What more can I say...........an exellent approach, thanks.
regards.

[SV8VY]

Or: Spend a bit of money to take em off the street onto a drag strip promote it gain respect and support = road safety. GOOD, POLICE RESPECTED
I agree they need to promote drag strip racing and circuit racing for the enthusiasts...maybe offer big discounts for people interested with the work performed by people doing community service for street racing.Maybe the Insurance companies can give a discount to people going to these events and driver training days as they would get more skill.
I know after I have been at the track I am tired and the last thing I want to do is race people on the street

[Nawdy]

One of the things I can't get over is the fact that everybody knows what happens at TDZ, including police, and the people who take their cars down there know the cops will turn up eventually but they still go anyway....

The TDZ is an industrial area seperate from the rest of Darwin, but there are businesses that run 24 hours a day located there, plus the fact some people do live there as well. The problem is the drivers who frequent this area consider it to be their patch, and they can do what they like, even though these are still public roads.

As already mentioned, these people have both Open meets and Street meets that they can use to flog the bejeezus out of their cars, as well as track days (all these meets are on once a month during the Dry) but they still persist in heading to TDZ. It's very disappointing to see a long line of enthusiast's cars heading down to TDZ after the street meets, and there are hardly any race numbers to be seen. Most haven't even bothered to attend the meetings.

Even if these people can't afford to attend, they can still volunteer as officials at the meets, so entry is free in this situation, they get a free feed and get to be up close to the action.

As HSVGTS quite rightly said, you'll never stop the problem, but if an outlet can be provided, at least they'll be off the streets for one night.

As an aside, is Dandenong Rd in Melbourne still popular with car enthusiasts on Friday and Saturday nights?

[clixanup]

I live in Melbourne's northern suburbs, it's drag racing central here. Always fresh black lines down my street.

Same here. It seems to get worse as you go north of Thommo.

I've been hit with a double whammy - I live opposite a park and have a speed hump right outside my front door. Either they're doing donuts in the carpark or lighting 'em up on the speed hump. Either way I lose. The thing that gets me is that it is almost without exception that they drive VLs.

[crisso]

I think there is a story on A Current Affair tonight about this very topic, but focusing more on how these street racers are treating the coppers doing their job...tune in.

crisso

[Marco]

It does go on here in Canberra, but for the most part it doesn’t seem to be all that highly visible (with the possible exception of goings-on in Braddon – not exactly a great place for street racing, given that it’s right next to the CBD).

Like most other places, I think it happens largely in industrial estates. For instance, two Fridays ago I drove through Hume and came upon a gathering of cars in various states of modification, just sort of…hanging around. I have no doubts about what went on later that night.

The sooner they finally build that bloody drag strip here, the better.

[Plums]

As already mentioned, these people have both Open meets and Street meets that they can use to flog the bejeezus out of their cars, as well as track days (all these meets are on once a month during the Dry) but they still persist in heading to TDZ. It's very disappointing to see a long line of enthusiast's cars heading down to TDZ after the street meets, and there are hardly any race numbers to be seen. Most haven't even bothered to attend the meetings.

I used to race up at Hidden Valley and some of the competitors dumbfounded me. At the end of racing one night while taking the slicks off, one of the guys came up and asked if I wanted to meet out at the Shell in Berrima. I said "sure, are we going for a cruise?" He said there were some street drags organised. I got pretty annoyed and reminded him (in case he had a very short memory) that he had been racing legally all night and if he went out there he is a dickhead....

Some people just amaze me!!!

[chook]

Anyone remember "Brikies" at Homebush, that was back in the 80's They will NEVER stop it. Young guys and cars were the same 20 years ago as they are now, the cars may have changed but that's all. More press these days and more "Do Gooders" Mr Scruby etc.

[VYBerlinaV8]

It does go on here in Canberra, but for the most part it doesn’t seem to be all that highly visible (with the possible exception of goings-on in Braddon – not exactly a great place for street racing, given that it’s right next to the CBD).

Like most other places, I think it happens largely in industrial estates. For instance, two Fridays ago I drove through Hume and came upon a gathering of cars in various states of modification, just sort of…hanging around. I have no doubts about what went on later that night.

The sooner they finally build that bloody drag strip here, the better.


Word around the traps is that the cops have managed to mount surveillance cameras on some of the buildings in Hume - not a great place to get caught! I live near Hume, and it'd been going on down there for a while. I don't know why the cops don't just put some "fully sik" wanker clothes on and go take down the rego numbers of all the pricks doing it. Unless people's heads get stomped on for this type of behaviour, it just won't stop.

[vuster]

Princess hwy from Dandenong to chadstone on Friday night is full of hoons. They come out at about 11pm-1am. I live near the corner of Princess hwy/huntingdale roads and can hear the cars from my bedroom.


One of the things I can't get over is the fact that everybody knows what happens at TDZ, including police, and the people who take their cars down there know the cops will turn up eventually but they still go anyway....

The TDZ is an industrial area seperate from the rest of Darwin, but there are businesses that run 24 hours a day located there, plus the fact some people do live there as well. The problem is the drivers who frequent this area consider it to be their patch, and they can do what they like, even though these are still public roads.

As already mentioned, these people have both Open meets and Street meets that they can use to flog the bejeezus out of their cars, as well as track days (all these meets are on once a month during the Dry) but they still persist in heading to TDZ. It's very disappointing to see a long line of enthusiast's cars heading down to TDZ after the street meets, and there are hardly any race numbers to be seen. Most haven't even bothered to attend the meetings.

Even if these people can't afford to attend, they can still volunteer as officials at the meets, so entry is free in this situation, they get a free feed and get to be up close to the action.

As HSVGTS quite rightly said, you'll never stop the problem, but if an outlet can be provided, at least they'll be off the streets for one night.

As an aside, is Dandenong Rd in Melbourne still popular with car enthusiasts on Friday and Saturday nights?

[VYSHSV8]

ME MYSELF AND I have a good time on the odd occasion but not in a residential area, but in my area there is a couple of good old skids every weekend but nothing to worry about

[bassplayer]

Maybe State Governments, Main Road Dept’s and Police should start spending money on places where people can do this sort of thing safely, instead of spending money on promoting themselves on TV ads.

The problem is not going away, it seems to be growing. A proactive approach by the authorities to get hooning off the streets and onto Friday, Saturday night street meets at drag strips would help.

All the authorities are doing is trying to brand young people interested in cars as anti social hoons, they maybe to some but if the youth aren’t provided with a place to display their interest they’ll do it on the street whether we agree with it or not.

I don’t know if anything is done for the car youth throughout Australia but here in cairns there’s nothing. I like the idea in Townsville where they open the drag strip on some nights for the public to pay some $’s and drag all night.

At Present: Try and brand car enthusiasts as antisocial to the public under the guise of road safety gain some support from public and media then hit em hard with fines and take their cars = cash to Govt. NOT GOOD, POLICE PRICKS

Or: Spend a bit of money to take em off the street onto a drag strip promote it gain respect and support = road safety. GOOD, POLICE RESPECTED

It may not be the answer, but that’s what I think.
I feel better now…………….regards


well said mate.
like most things illegal, ppl are goin to do it regardless, so i think a promotion of legal & safe environments to do this drag racing would benefit all including the street racers, & the rest of the community not having to put up with unsafe street racing.
big boys need time & space to play with their toys too otherwise they'll continue to do it illegaly

[VQ304]

It's interesting, I've been out looking at new houses recently and I've noticed that the poorer the suburb is, the more burnouts there are on the road.

There's one housing estate out in Bundoora which has a combination of expensive houses and average houses, and it's the same there. Streets which have the average houses are full of black lines, and the streets with expensive houses have none.

I'm not going to make any unfair generalisations, but it is interesting to see that...

[dasko]

Well im sure most of us are guilty of laying down a set once now and then, and dragged some ricebox of the lights.
But i suppose we are talking about mass scale dragging and burnouts arnt we.
Instead of trying to eliminate the problem why are we not looking at having specific areas for these types of activities to take place under police volunteer supervision. Im sure we cant fall short of sponsors from tyre retailers , mechanics , exhaust installers and tuners to contribute to building smoking pads and run strips. It will increase business create employment and help with realtime pcm tunning/ on road dyno corrections.

As usual we are going to have people saying negative things about it, but realisticlly, if i had a specific place to go play i wouldnt risk the chance of losing control in a place where others can be harmed instead of just the driver.

I would like to hear from possible sponsors just to see if it is a project that could be put into practice.

my thoughts any how... :p

[karter42]

Maybe State Governments, Main Road Dept’s and Police should start spending money on places where people can do this sort of thing safely, instead of spending money on promoting themselves on TV ads.

The problem is not going away, it seems to be growing. A proactive approach by the authorities to get hooning off the streets and onto Friday, Saturday night street meets at drag strips would help.

All the authorities are doing is trying to brand young people interested in cars as anti social hoons, they maybe to some but if the youth aren’t provided with a place to display their interest they’ll do it on the street whether we agree with it or not.

I don’t know if anything is done for the car youth throughout Australia but here in cairns there’s nothing. I like the idea in Townsville where they open the drag strip on some nights for the public to pay some $’s and drag all night.

At Present: Try and brand car enthusiasts as antisocial to the public under the guise of road safety gain some support from public and media then hit em hard with fines and take their cars = cash to Govt. NOT GOOD, POLICE PRICKS

Or: Spend a bit of money to take em off the street onto a drag strip promote it gain respect and support = road safety. GOOD, POLICE RESPECTED

It may not be the answer, but that’s what I think.
I feel better now…………….regards

Yes, promote Motorsport, introduce these guys to it. A great place to start is Karting, I can tell you after a day off racing, an LS1 or rice feels like a bus when you are driving home and you really couldnt be bothered when someone tries to drag you from the lights.

Good thing about it is that it really does show off your skills, you are encouraged to drive as fast as possible in a controlled environment, safe, fun, affordable, competitive and the chance to legally blow people into the weeds....... btw, did I mention fun????? awsome is a better word.

[VX2VESS]

just burnouts and drifting practice clowns round my way. must be at the tyre shop every 2nd week the amount of rubber they lay around the place.

[keepleft]

These days I sugest some of the so called hoon element are more 'in your face' than in the past, with one of these elements, clearly ethnic based.

Many issues involved.

[ORIGINL]

i still cant get over that 130 cars were involved...

i missed this on the news, but would have been interesting to see

[burnout9]

As for taking babies in prams to the drags, that's just moronic. The parents obviously don't care about their kids safety at all.
:rofl:

thats not the drags mate its street racing :mad:

[Nawdy]

Did anyone watch ACA tonight? Those being interviewed didn't do themselves any favours. Did anyone get the email address? I really feel a need to communicate with ACA.

[Goanna]

I watched ACA tongiht.....its people like that poilce need more power to handle. All i wanted while those Fully sik Jerks were bad mouthing the cops was for one to get back out of the car, grab his happy stick and belt the shit out of the fully sik jerk!, What i can't understand is these guys blaming the cops for targetting them. The cops are just doing there job, someone has to do it, I don't always agree with the police and there ways, but its there job. Give them a break....if you drive around in an illegal car and do the stuff there doing, you have to expect the police to do there job!!. :bash:

[vh-holden]

Did anyone watch ACA tonight? Those being interviewed didn't do themselves any favours. Did anyone get the email address? I really feel a need to communicate with ACA.
http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/feedback/feedback.asp

[jsttry]

Did anyone watch ACA tonight? Those being interviewed didn't do themselves any favours. Did anyone get the email address? I really feel a need to communicate with ACA.
I'm assuming that is the vid posted in here....
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=38651

[brain_fear]

Nightly races use to occur just over my back fence, its a single lane road (in each direction) with a large nature strip dividing the two. From one crossing to another its roughly a quarter mile.

It stopped a while back due to increase in traffic.

You use to be able to enter any industrial area in the northern suburbs (thomastown, campbellfield, somerton, reservoir) on a thursday night, and bound to see lots of cars and lots of rubber.