Should street racers cars be crushed here in the U.S.A ?

Should street racers cars be crushed here in the U.S.A ?

With street racing related deaths on the rise across North America, governments and police forces are having to try new and drastic measures to combat the illegal and dangerous activity. On Wednesday in California, several known street racer’s rides were sent to the crusher to send a message to other racers that their hobby will not be tolerated.


Here in Ontario, a couple of loogans were “racing” on a major highway last weekend and caused a major accident which resulted in the death of a selfless truck driver who drove off the road rather than crash into the existing accident. The two that caused the incident have been charged under new street racing laws.

In response to this latest death, Toronto area police are lobbying to begin crushing street racer’s cars in a program similar to that in California. The difference is that in California, the cars crushed are those belonging to known, convicted street racers. Here in Toronto, the cops want to crush cars that are modified for street racing.

From the Toronto Star:
“Just on the balance of probabilities if we can establish that a car is being used for the unlawful purpose of street racing, we will seize it and you will never see it again.

“We will crush your car, we will crush the parts.”

Here is the problem: How are they going to determine if a car has been modified for street racing, or modified to improve vehicle handling, or modified for legitimate competition?

World wide, weekend warriors partake in legal, sanctioned motorsports events in their modified daily drivers. In most cases, these guys and girls drive like little old ladies on the street, because they have the opportunity to get their jollies out on the track. Many of these good folks are young adults, who may enjoy the same style of clothing and music as their street racing counterparts. How do the police intend to differentiate between the good and the bad, solely based on the modifications made to their cars?

Make no mistake, street racing needs to stop, but is it fair to paint with a wide brush just due to bolt on performance parts. In York Region, at Toronto’s north end, police have laid over 550 charges against street racers in the last 6 weeks. Why not begin crushing the cars that belong to those guys, who have already been caught. Then, suspend their driver’s license indefinitely. If they have no license, then they (hopefully) won’t be driving at all. Ever.


Manuel Hernandez reacts after his car and other impounded vehicles were crushed at Ecology Auto Parts in Rialto, Calif., on Wednesday.

Crushing the cars is a bit extreme, but I wish penalties were more severe for those too immature to take it to the track.

only the hondas.

That is just uhh... uhh... what is the word... Make-ist? That is just messed up... Lots of those mustangs with long tubes, headers, cams and Nitrus. Not to mention those vettes and GTOs. Oh and lets not forget those abombidable(sp?) neons...

Eh. IMO, its dumb to sqash cars based on their mods. If they catch people ON THE ACT of street racing go ahead...

Some RICERS out there like big fart cans and wings to make their cars fly (not reffering to MovieSTAR). Isnt that the right of the owner to do whatever he wants to his car?

Crushing is a bit extreme and I can see cops taking things a bit far......Simple speeding ticket could turn into a racing charge and there goes your car.

crush em all!!

From that picture, I make out most of the cars as Hondas lol. The one in the middle is completely smashed and the top emblem looks like an older mazda emblem? The other three are Hondas.

the top one is a acura integra

IMO They have no right to take your car that you worked your ass of to buy, and crush it. Street racing IMO again is dumb, its all about drag racing to the speed limit then you let go of the gas and no one gets hurt, whats so great about going 95 in a 45? Lots of things can go wrong at that speed and you wont have the room or time to compensate for a safe stop, especially if something like a kid runs out into the street. I would never forgive myself... On the other hand the yellow car looks like a GTI? Maybe?

BTW: Why is the guys shirt hiked up so mo much in the picture? Is he trying to flatter us with his beer belly?

actually thats why i made my comment, it was a joke. a joke to a stereotypical article, that only honda's are street racers. actually. that picture is old, and the deal with the crushing is that YES they were street racing but they also had illegal drugs inside of them. so...yeah...crush em.

this story is old isnt it? and damn all look like hondas, that one directly in the middle looks like a fuckin sandwich tho, cant tell what it is.

4 years old at least.

i know the story was old, i asked if you think they should crush people`s car`s. but thx for your input.

Yellow one is definitely a honda. Those fogs are genuine I like how people are paying attention to the cars

On the other side... as to what HummerH2O said, going full throttle til the speed limit can still get you in trouble... some offense called "showing speed" or something that police can get you for going WOT - so i read somewhere...

Unnecessary acceleration is what its called around here.

If suspended licenses, speeding tickets, court costs, etc won't teach them a lesson then sometimes you have to go to the extreme. Its one thing to race at the track. But its another to race on public roads and have the possiblity of hurting someone else. How many of these kids see others go to jail cause they were street racing and killed someone else or whatever. Does that stop them? no. So get them where it hurts the most...their car.

I don't see anything wrong with what they did/are doing. You have the right to modify your car, but you also have to follow the laws. Granted we're all not perfect when it comes to obeying laws but if you get pulled over for tints, exhaust, etc, then you can't complain about it. If you get caught racing, then you know you can't complain when they throw you in jail or crush your car cause you know what you were doing is illegal.

So if you love your ride so much and don't want anything happening to it, then keep it on the track or obey traffic laws.

Street racing has been going on since they made cars. But the media/police have focused alot of there attention on imports and left the domestic morons alone I wonder what that is all about. Its profiling at its finest and noone gives a damn because most of us are younger and the cops like to abuse their power and intimidate. The sad part is the majority of us enthusiast do drive normal and blow it out on the weekend at the track. Its that old saying a few bad apples............ But I would love to see what they would do if someone in a highly modded domestic that was caught street racing as well you think they would crush that minty 68 Camaro. I highly doubt it they make more money off righting people in imports tickets for exhaust and altered suspension and all kinds of stupid sh@t while the muscle cars can shake my house when they roll by. But will crushing cars stop or deter street racing nope not one bit this is there alternative to opening tracks I suppose makes total sense........

Crushing cars if you're caught in the act. YES! Crushing cars just because it's modified. NO! Innocent until proven guilty. Just because a car is modified doesn't mean the owner races it. Just like having a stock car doesn't mean the owner won't race it either. And what about sports cars and exotic cars that are stock? Those are modified from factory. I think Canada is taking a step in the wrong direction. It's just plain retarded.

+1

And yet Brian O'Connor was taken by the FBI in F&F2

lawl touchy and defensive quick are we? I just thought I had read this somewhere is all.

+2!

hey at least the wheels are still in good condition

i can really care less about anything you say . if i was directing the comment to you i would of wrapped your QUOTE. you haven`t lived long enough to school me in any type of way ,you wouldn`t faze me if you were physically standing in front of my face,so i don`t think so. your child like knowledge makes me laugh. if you got more to say to me take it to the PM and keep your ASSuming sarcastic remarks off my Thread . im done with you. pedro over and out.

i would like to have them for my wife`s civic.

some of you people take things too personal lol

was you trying to do this. :lol

didn't some state begin an experiment where race cars that were taken would then be taken to some company where they would sell off the race parts to proper dealers for mad cheap and the rest of the car was either rebuilt to be sold or recycled properly? Or was this all just a dream and is something i'm just wishing in my head?

Either way, I would have to go against crushing cars. people should recycle parts as much as possible instead of creating more trash for the world.

yes i was, but my link fails.

Well you proved my point. You even stoop to insults. And all this stems from me asking if this story was old or not.

And actually take a look at your comment, it couldnt have been directed towards anyone else. Nice rant though