Red light for street racers?

In the twilight hours, on a local street near you, the sleeping calm might be shattered by the roar of engines and squealing of tires.

Recent statistics indicate that the popularity of street racing on Utah's city streets is becoming a growing problem that could result in deadly consequences for both young drivers and any innocent people who may be caught in the middle of an illegal race. Racers have grown so brazen as to race on city streets in the middle of the afternoon.

"This isn't your grandpa's drag racing," said Rolayne Fairclough with AAA of Utah. Fairclough said many people don't realize how serious some young adults take street racing, boosting engine performance and spending at times as much as $20,000 tricking out a car.

"These kids are going down State Street, Seventh East, Van Winkle. They're not just dragging off the light, they're blasting through the light in excess of 100 miles per hour," Fairclough said.

Out of concern, citizen advocates plan to meet with lawmakers today to discuss the possibility of increasing penalties for those caught street racing.

The Transportation Interim Committee is scheduled to meet at the Capitol, Room W015, at 2 p.m. today.

A study of state driving citations by the Intermountain Injury Control Research Center at the University of Utah shows that between 1992 and 2002, citations for street racing in Utah doubled from 150 to more than 300.

Stacey Knight, one of the authors of the study, said the numbers seem to indicate that street racing is becoming a growing problem. Her study also indicated that because street racing often involves excess speeds, alcohol and urban streets, street racers are 20 percent more likely to be involved in an auto accident. Street racers are also twice as likely than average drivers to receive DUIs, three times more likely to be cited with reckless driving and four times more likely to be driving on a suspended, or revoked, license.

Knight pointed out that although street racing still constitutes only 1.1 percent of all driving citations, the growth in popularity and its associated dangers is worth looking at.

Annette Warburton of Murray, whose 13-year-old son, Craig, was killed by a street racer while crossing the street three years ago, said although fines have been increased, the message is not being put across about the danger. Under current law those caught street racing face a Class C misdemeanor with a maximum of 90 days in prison and a $750 fine. Judicial sentencing guidelines set common fines at $107 to $250 with repeat offenses earning points toward a revoked license.