Proposed ordinance in Tacoma targets illegal street racing
Mar 25, 2021, 5:04 AM
Tacoma Police and other law enforcement stand in a intersection near the site of a car crash Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021, in downtown Tacoma, Wash. At least one person was injured when a police car plowed through a crowd of people Saturday night who were watching a downtown street race, the Tacoma News-Tribune reported. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The Tacoma City Council is looking to crack down on illegal street racing with a proposed ordinance directly related to “unlawful exhibitions of speed.”
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The ordinance would amend the city’s current traffic rules by targeting street racing activity and street exhibitions. As KIRO Radio reports, it specifically prohibits “squealing tires while cars are stationary, rapid acceleration, and drifting,” among other actions.
The City of Fife recently adopted an emergency ordinance to address exhibitions of speed, which the Tacoma ordinance says adds activities such as burnouts, donuts, weaving, drifting, and leaving tire marks on the pavement.
The Pierce County Executive has also convened meetings to discuss policy options and a regional approach to increased street racing events.
Tacoma’s city manager will collect data, according to the text of the proposed ordinance, including the city of residence of all individuals receiving a citation, and will provide findings and recommendations to the Tacoma City Council on “the efficacy of this ordinance to reduce illegal exhibitions of speed activities in Tacoma, with a focus on racial equity, no later than six months after implementation.”
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards is sponsoring the proposal.
“People have actually been killed by cars who get out of control, and so it is our paramount duty to be concerned and work toward the safety of everyone who lives in our community,” she said.
The city council will consider final passage of the ordinance next week. If passed, violators could face a $1,000 fine and jail time.
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This comes in the wake of an incident in January where an officer was seen on video driving his vehicle through a crowd of people. During the incident, 58-year-old Officer Khanh Phan was in his vehicle surrounded by people as part of an attempt to clear an intersection, responding to reports of an illegal street race.
KIRO Radio’s Aaron Granillo contributed to this report.
