Last Nights Ugly Drags

[NXTIME]

........... and do you think legislation like that would EVER pass through our parliament?

Lets be realistic here.

I was being realistic. Why wouldn't it? I mean they passed a totalitarian law 9 years ago at a late night sitting of parliaiment in setting the exisitng street racing laws - the govt's method to curb street racing and burnouts, but it simply hasn't worked. They are aiming at removing cars from the owners' possession, but the drivers are free to continue driving. Hit them harder in the hip pocket, suspend their licenses for substantial lengths of time, and see if they continue to street race. No doubt that some fools more than likely will continue to do it, but I am confident that alot of people who street race won't take that risk.

They should also impose penalties for those who spectate, as without the ego-inflating crowds, alot of the 'street cred' and boasting that goes with street racing will hopefully make it less desirable to do it. This is much better than continuing to push what the media and members of the opposition are saying - that the police have simply gone soft on street racing. I don't think that that is true, as it appears to be pointing towards the ineffectiveness of the laws aimed at reducing this activity. They simply haven't worked, and this is evidenced by the number of people who attended street races every weekend.

[Merli]

Mate, these P-platers driving clapped out Datsun 1200s don't have $10,000 to pay the government. It just won't work.

Legislation like that would never get passed anyway, I can assure you of that 100%. It just won't happen.

[NXTIME]

But the $2,000-odd dollars in fines, plus storage and tow fees to go with the 3 month confiscation will work? It definitely hasnt worked in the past, and won't work in the future. Also, alot of the P-platers drive vehicles that are worth alot more than clapped out 1200's.

My point is that the govt's current methods have not worked. They need to implement better, more effective methods if they actually want to curb street racing and not just raise more revenue.

[2rismo]

Street Racing is not Drag Racing

FU(K I HATE IT WHEN THEY CALL THIS SH1T "Drag Racing" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Merli]

But the $2,000-odd dollars in fines, plus storage and tow fees to go with the 3 month confiscation will work? It definitely hasnt worked in the past, and won't work in the future. Also, alot of the P-platers drive vehicles that are worth alot more than clapped out 1200's.

My point is that the govt's current methods have not worked. They need to implement better, more effective methods if they actually want to curb street racing and not just raise more revenue.

They don't pay the $2000 now, they're not going to pay the $10,000 either.

Confiscating their vehicles is a better idea than slapping them with a fine they'll just ignore.

[T0nyGTSt]

Cancell the membership and forums access to any skyline found frequenting this stupid and mindless drags.

I strongly doubt there's any of us even remotely interested in illegal streets drags.

Let's be honest here... most of us use our cars to get to work... as daily drivers. Our median age is higher and our records stand comparison to any law abiding person out there (within reason!)

There are lots of responsible Skyline drivers out there - people with jobs and kids. Unfortunately we're all slandered with the same brush. It pains me to see people here having to defend themselves on other forums because most people know very well what they drive.

You can see where the govt. is going with this... cutting the 15 y.o. import rule... more draconian measures.

Ask yourself this - do you as normal people feel like assaulting police officers?

This isn't anyone on this forum.

I admit that I might have attended one or two illegal drags but hitting police??? This isn't the thinking of normal people.

How are the police like when they see your car? Suspicious? They look at you odd?

The only thing you can do is drive responsibly. People expect you to drive like they read in the media. Don't give them the benefit of their expectations.

T.

[SNOQPY]

hey all

who knows the ocupants of the evlr34 crash in Wyoming (gosford) last december. doesnt matter if you didnt, thats what started it all, as graham and his family have been close friends to me and elmo his son a great mate that i have only met a few times.

a letter in the paper a few weeks is trying to get the wsid crew to ban P platers from racing fullstop. now first i thought that was a bit stupid, i still think its a bit too far, cause if they ban the p platers from the track where are they going to race, their still going to race illigally either way, regardless if skylines are in the vercinaty at that point in time.

[NXTIME]

Tony, then maybe we, as a collective law-abiding group, should do something to alter this widespread misconception that the community at large has of us. The cruise that was held after the EVLR34 crash last year is a good example of this. perhaps we can have a cruise organised with responsible Skyline drivers to highlight the fact that we aren't all like the media is making us out to be.

[NXTIME]

They don't pay the $2000 now, they're not going to pay the $10,000 either.

Confiscating their vehicles is a better idea than slapping them with a fine they'll just ignore.

Merli, you are making it appear like it's only poor P-platers with clapped out old cars are the ones who are involved in illegal street drags. I can tell you for a fact that there are $100,000+ cars that are involved in this acitivity. As for not paying even a $2,000 fine, well then I guess that is a good thing as they won't have a license again until they do pay this fine off. So, they lose their car and eveentually, their license. Maybe they can then take a good hard look at what they have done wrong while they are catching a bus or getting a lift of friends and relatives to get around.

What effective solutions can you (or anyone else) suggest to curb this activity?

[Bleach1]

So who were the people involved in this rubbish? Surely a little shame should be given to them for taking part in this.

[T0nyGTSt]

So who were the people involved in this rubbish? Surely a little shame should be given to them for taking part in this.

Would you believe the Hot4s forums?

T.

[Merli]

Merli, you are making it appear like it's only poor P-platers with clapped out old cars are the ones who are involved in illegal street drags. I can tell you for a fact that there are $100,000+ cars that are involved in this acitivity. As for not paying even a $2,000 fine, well then I guess that is a good thing as they won't have a license again until they do pay this fine off. So, they lose their car and eveentually, their license. Maybe they can then take a good hard look at what they have done wrong while they are catching a bus or getting a lift of friends and relatives to get around.

What effective solutions can you (or anyone else) suggest to curb this activity?

This is true. Not only young drivers are participating in these street drags... There are many stupid older people as well. Unfortunately stupidity doesn't always lessen with maturity.

Did you read my first post in this thread? If you did, you'll see my solutions for this problem. Unfortunately, I'm long sighted and my suggestions are aimed at fixing this problem FOR GOOD.... and not knee-jerk reactions to try and bring all illegal street drags to an immediate halt, like everyone seems to think they can do. I'm sorry, but that's just not going to happen. I'd be willing to bet any amount of money on that. It's got to be a progressive thing, done through driver education and changing the youth's attitude about 1.5 tonne blocks of metal they're in charge of.

So that will hopefully effect in future generations, but for an immediate solution, I think that the confiscation of cars, selling them and putting the money towards driver education is the way to go. That way, they have a LOT to lose. They will lose their transport to work, lose a large chunk of their assets (if not their ONLY tangible asset), or put them into debt to repay a car that they no longer have.

That's a pretty big fear that the government can put into these guys, but ONLY IF THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE BALLS TO GO THROUGH WITH IT AND CONFISCATE AND SELL THE CARS. No point in setting those laws if they're not going to carry them out, reduce punishments and go all soft.

[BU5TER]

Last night ugly drifters/track boy f*ckers stuff up bad street racing

Why do legal drag racers have to be grouped with street racer boys???

[Jago]

In my opinion, shit ass, and stupid movies like fast and furious and games like nfsu just make people want to street race more and gives them ideas. nfsu not so much though...

[NXTIME]

This is true. Not only young drivers are participating in these street drags...  There are many stupid older people as well. Unfortunately stupidity doesn't always lessen with maturity.

Did you read my first post in this thread? If you did, you'll see my solutions for this problem. Unfortunately, I'm long sighted and my suggestions are aimed at fixing this problem FOR GOOD.... and not knee-jerk reactions to try and bring all illegal street drags to an immediate halt, like everyone seems to think they can do. I'm sorry, but that's just not going to happen. I'd be willing to bet any amount of money on that. It's got to be a progressive thing, done through driver education and changing the youth's attitude about 1.5 tonne blocks of metal they're in charge of.

So that will hopefully effect in future generations, but for an immediate solution, I think that the confiscation of cars, selling them and putting the money towards driver education is the way to go. That way, they have a LOT to lose. They will lose their transport to work, lose a large chunk of their assets (if not their ONLY tangible asset), or put them into debt to repay a car that they no longer have.  

That's a pretty big fear that the government can put into these guys, but ONLY IF THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE BALLS TO GO THROUGH WITH IT AND CONFISCATE AND SELL THE CARS. No point in setting those laws if they're not going to carry them out, reduce punishments and go all soft.

Merli, I just re-read your first post and I actually agree with it, as well as your last post. I concur with the notion that there isn't a clear-cut solution to this problem, and I do acknowledge the fact that it won't stop overnight. It will take quite awhile to instill the notion that street racing is not accepted and that years of education will help to change people's attitudes.

However, in light of the failure of the government's attempts to stop this activity, something must be done sooner rather than later, be it increased enforcement, harsher penalties, licence suspension etc. The point I made earlier is that despite the confiscation of cars, people are still partaking in such illegal activities, so therefore, something further needs to be done to curb it. I also agree that a long-term solution needs to be formulated and implemented. But this doesn't appear to be a high priority to the government. The current laws don't allow the government to keep the money, they have to return it to the owner, I believe. One suggestion would be to suspend the licence of those caught street racing and also make it compulsory to attend a drivier training/education course before they can get it back. I also think that this should be mandatory anyway for drivers as part of the licencing scheme. As you said earlier, it is so easy to get a licence to drive any car after a certain period without even driving a car.

I don't agree with your last paragraph though. The government already has laws that allow the police to confiscate cars caught street racing (and doing burnouts). But look at the scene - it hasn't stopped people undertaking this activity despite the fact that they can lose their car - for good if caught twice. That is my point, this scare tactic is already in place, but it has done very little to curb the activities of people who do it. Furthermore, street racing has been around for decades, and will more than likely be around for years, if not decades to come. It will never be ridden of "for good". But we can at least attempt to curb it as much as possible. As far as I am aware, the government cannot retain the money from a vehicle sold after the second confiscation. BUT, they can issue fines.

My suggestion to increasing the fine to (say) $10,000 is aimed at making people weigh up the (financial) risk of taking part in street racing. The hefty fine will hopefully scare people off the activity due to the huge financial risk (since alot of them don't appear to care about safety). But you are right, that will never happen, therefore we need further solutions to this. It's all in the attitude.

[Merli]

I don't agree with your last paragraph though. The government already has laws that allow the police to confiscate cars caught street racing (and doing burnouts). But look at the scene - it hasn't stopped people undertaking this activity despite the fact that they can lose their car - for good if caught twice. That is my point, this scare tactic is already in place, but it has done very little to curb the activities of people who do it. Furthermore, street racing has been around for decades, and will more than likely be around for years, if not decades to come. It will never be ridden of "for good". But we can at least attempt to curb it as much as possible. As far as I am aware, the government cannot retain the money from a vehicle sold after the second confiscation. BUT, they can issue fines.

My suggestion to increasing the fine to (say) $10,000 is aimed at making people weigh up the (financial) risk of taking part in street racing. The hefty fine will hopefully scare people off the activity due to the huge financial risk (since alot of them don't appear to care about safety). But you are right, that will never happen, therefore we need further solutions to this. It's all in the attitude.

Firstly, how many cars do you think have been confiscated?

Secondly, how many people do you think, since that law was introduced, have successfully attended and participated in street drags without ANY intervention from the polics?

Answer truthfully, and you'll see that the law is NOT being enforced. Not to a scale that will actually prove to be a real threat to these street racers anyway.

You're saying $10,000 fine... I'm saying confiscate and sell the car and don't give them their money back. Which one do you think is more likely to get results? Take their asset on the spot and sell it or ask them nicely for $10,000?

[wreckedhead]

it will never happen, street racing has been around for the last 30 years, if they couldnt stop the HQ holdens racing on the street when we were babies, what can make them change legislation now.

[T0nyGTSt]

Also you won't get any Western government confiscating private property, selling it and keeping the proceeds. While I think that's not a bad idea, only governments like Communist China and Nazi Germany can get away with something like that.

Remember it's illegal to confiscate the property of murders and rapist to repatriate the victims so what makes you think they'll do it for a couple of illegal drags.

I'm pretty sure it's even stated in the Westminster legal system we follow.

This will be the same thing next month, next government, next victims.

T.

[Merli]

Of course it won't happen. Same way the $10,000 fine won't happen, but I was just saying that it's what *I'D* propose. It will never see the light of day though

[NXTIME]

Firstly, how many cars do you think have been confiscated?  

Secondly, how many people do you think, since that law was introduced, have successfully attended and participated in street drags without ANY intervention from the polics?

Answer truthfully, and you'll see that the law is NOT being enforced. Not to a scale that will actually prove to be a real threat to these street racers anyway.

You're saying $10,000 fine... I'm saying confiscate and sell the car and don't give them their money back. Which one do you think is more likely to get results? Take their asset on the spot and sell it or ask them nicely for $10,000?

Merli, there have been plenty of cars confiscated. But I am not sure of the numbers - will try and look it up. As for people attending street drags, I have already stated that the numbers have not decreased since this law was introduced. The street races are usually held at the same spots that people have been using for years and years. The police know of these spots and do respond at times. However, I am not in a position to comment on how many times police don't turn up to illegal races. It is a given that they still occur, police or no police. But another important factor is the lack of resources. The police do not have enough manpower to constantly chase street racers. They will more than likely crackdown after this incident, but it will continue.

As for keeping the money from confiscated cars, they cannot do this legally. But the way to do this is to impose a fine. I guess they could combine the two methods and sell the confiscated cars. That should raise enough money (in most cases) for the offenders to pay any hefty fines. I still contend that the car confiscation laws have not reduced street racing. Therefore, further action is required by the government.