A new Florida law, SB 1764, will increase fines and potential jail time for people who engage in street stunts, stunt driving and illegal racing starting July 1.
The initiative, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis last monthfocuses on “coordinated street taking,” which means ten or more vehicles operating in an organized manner to carry out a street takeover.
Under the bill, maximum fines for first offenses will increase from $1,000 to $2,000. Those who commit a second offense within a year could face third-degree felony charges, rather than a first-degree misdemeanor, along with a fine of up to $4,000, the outlet cited. NBC Miami.
Violators could also face having their driver’s license revoked for two years, and law enforcement agencies may confiscate the vehicles involved in these events and seek to obtain title to the vehicle in a forfeiture proceeding.
In addition, from the 1st of July Spectators at these events may also receive traffic violation citations and a $400 fine.
“Before, it was a misdemeanor, so we would probably charge them with reckless driving or something similar and they wouldn’t lose their vehicles. Now, with these harsher penalties, it becomes a felony and they have to pay a fine of up to $4,000 plus they’ll lose their driver’s license for 2 to 4 years,” explained Michael Vega, spokesman for the Miami Police.
Rep. Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican who co-sponsored the bill, said in February that the problem is a “public safety” issue occurring from Jacksonville to Miami.
He also pointed out that the current penalties have not been a deterrent for many people who continue to engage in this practice.
Rep. Doug Bankson, an Apopka Republican and co-sponsor of the bill, said in March that life-threatening street racing is increasing across the state because of popular video games and movies.
Authorities have noted that street stunts and stunt driving incidents have been on the rise in recent years, being extremely dangerous for participants, spectators and other drivers.
Numerous arrests of organizers and participants have been made in South Florida and the rest of the state.
A state law enacted in 2022 made it illegal to participate in street racing, including grabs, drag races, donuts, tire burns, wheelies, drifts and other related activities that can create unsafe roads.
At the end of February, Miami-Dade police arrested six young people, including a Cuban and two minors, during a combined police operation with other law enforcement agencies carried out against illegal car racing at some intersections in the county.
In that case, in addition to the arrests of young people between 15 and 21 years old, during the operation the authorities imposed 29 fines and recovered a stolen car and a firearm.
Angel Rodriguez, a spokesman for the county police, said that in one of the cases, it was the mother of one of the minors who contacted the authorities to raise the alarm and request that her son be arrested.
Rodriguez added that in other cases it was the Highway Patrol “with its tactics” that allowed the individuals to be stopped.
Police recommend that anyone caught in an illegal race or turning into an intersection should leave the scene and call 911 immediately.
