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Debbie Dujanovic ReportingSpeeds pushing triple the limit on busy city streets. We showed you the video last night. Tonight, see the response.
Racers, are feeling the pressure following our Eyewitness News Investigation. Our investigation showed you what's happening on your city streets. After seeing the home video we obtained, a lot of you are asking us what will be done? Tonight, the answer.
The home video we showed you has racers talking, websites buzzing, and a Utah lawmaker looking at tougher laws. Senator Karen Hale saw the same video thousands of you watched on Eyewitness news last night, of 700 east from 3300 to 4700 South..
Sen. Karen Hale , (D) Salt Lake City: “I think it really demonstrates a problem we have, and it’s a dangerous problem.”
She'll take steps on Capitol Hill to enhance penalties for illegal street racing in Utah.
Sen. Karen Hale: “We’ll recommend this goes to the interim study, and this summer and fall we’ll look at what policy we can formulate to address the issue.”
Our investigation showed you where racers pushing 100-plus miles an hour, on city streets like 700 East, State, 4500 South and Van Winkle expressway. Today viewers are emailing us with other racing spots in their neighborhoods in West Jordan, Sandy, and Ogden.
The current penalty for street racing is a fine. One driver was ticketed on State Street.
Reporter: "He's writing you up for exhibition of speed, for drag racing.”
“I told you I did nothing."
We tracked his court records -- his fine was a hundred dollars.
Throughout California, the law allows officers to seize cars, take racers to jail. In Texas it's a $2,000 fine. In Reno, Nevada even race spectators can wind up behind bars. Tonight those who love the sport are feeling the pressure.
Taylor Hinton, SLCStreetracing.com: “I think the police should be targeting drunk drivers and drug deals and that sort of thing out in the neighborhoods. I would much rather see a cop in my neighborhood than out chasing street racers.”
Taylor Hinton runs a local street racing website where our story is the hot topic in chatrooms. The home video we showed you is angering racers, who don't want the television exposure. But he admits it has some of them brainstorming solutions before the law catches up. They want to look at expanding their track time at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Salt Lake County. But it doesn't open for the season until mid-spring.
In the meantime, we'll keep track of what Capitol Hill does and see if lawmakers do crackdown.
