http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/s...15043650c.html

 

Hitting the brakes
Officers cracking down on cars modified for street racing
By Cameron Jahn -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B1
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Area motorists beware: If your car is too loud, too low or pumps out too much smog, you face stiff fines in a new crackdown on illegal street racing designed to prevent fatalities and steer young people toward safe, legal raceways.
Also targeted are spectators who show up to watch illegal races, smog shops that OK gross polluting cars and auto parts businesses that install illegal modifications.

The first test case of the new zero-tolerance policy will be the prosecution of Jason Antoine Golson, 22, who is charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal street race in Citrus Heights earlier this month. Steve Allen Skattebo, 25, hit a tree and died while racing Golson down Auburn Boulevard on Feb. 2.
California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Frost has inspected the two cars involved for illegal racing modifications and plans to testify as an expert witness on street racing at Golson's trial.
"We have a huge problem in Sacramento since we have extremely high numbers of modified import vehicles," said Frost, who is helping train other CHP officers. "Honestly, I think we've been lucky that we haven't had more street-racing fatalities."

Under California law, officers can stop and inspect a vehicle if they reasonably suspect that the engine has illegal modifications.

Frost spent one recent afternoon patrolling the streets of Carmichael and North Highlands looking for the signs of street racing: a chassis that scrapes the ground, the throaty whirr of a wide exhaust pipe, and racing stickers on the windows.

At a stop on Watt Avenue, Frost asked for more than license, registration and proof of insurance. Like the other 130 officers trained by the Drag-Net program, Frost wanted to get a look under the hood.

He said the 1997 Acura Integra had an illegal air filter, its suspension was too low, and its exhaust system made too much noise. The car's registered owner, who was not present during the stop, will have to keep the car off the street until the state Bureau of Automotive Repairs certifies that the illegal parts have been removed.

Replacing a typical package of illegal modifications and reinstalling stock parts costs an estimated $2,500.

Price is the main reason Misty Arce, 26, hasn't changed anything about her lowered 1994 Honda Del Sol, even though the loud tailpipes and illegally tinted windows have netted her three traffic stops since Thanksgiving, including a citation from Frost.

"Honestly, I don't want to put any more money into it," she said after being pulled over on Walnut Avenue. "I want to get rid of it."

Authorities are banking on responses like Arce's to further tamp down on street racing. Rancho Cordova and the city of Sacramento have passed ordinances barring spectators at illegal street races, with penalties for violators that start at $500 and jump to $1,000 or six months in jail for a repeat offender.

"That's why they street race, to show off. So if there is no one watching, then it may decrease racing," said Sacramento Police Sgt. Michael Cooper, coordinator of the Drag-Net unit.

The drive to wipe out street racing statewide is modeled after a San Diego program started in 2001 when that city recorded 16 deaths and 31 major injuries attributed to street races. During the past two years there have been no street racing deaths.

The California Office of Traffic Safety last year expanded San Diego's program statewide with a $5 million grant to train officers from 75 police agencies to spot after-market racing parts.

"My biggest concern was, 'Oh man, they're going to try and make me a mechanic,' but they show us (what to look for) and I'll be darned if the stuff is not there under the hood," Cooper said.

Under the expanded state-sponsored effort, about $400,000 each will go to police departments in Sacramento, Riverside, Ontario, Oakland, Irwindale, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno and Stockton to pay for operations, educational presentations and training.

The new Drag-Net unit seems to be paying off locally. From October through December, Sacramento police wrote 550 smog and racing citations and towed 35 vehicles. Since January, Davis' five-person auto unit has issued 24 citations for smog violations tied to illegal racing parts. "It's just another tool in our toolbox," said motor officer Rod Rifredi.

Modifying cars for racing, however, remains popular with young people. Jesuit High School junior Michael Lee has spent close to $30,000 souping up his 1995 Nissan 240SX. He says tickets and attention from law enforcement are the cost of his hobby.

"I just see people with lowered cars or exhaust (systems) getting pulled over every day or at least a few times a week," said Lee.

Pajo Bruich, 26, who drives his modified 2003 Nissan 350Z mainly on weekends, thinks targeting street racers is unfair.

"It kind of seems like harassment," he said. "Honestly, you know, it's an innocent thing these kids are doing."

Authorities disagree. A street racing ticket equals two points on your driving record, and sometimes impromptu speed contests turn deadly. Kimberly Marie Wheeler, a single mother from Woodland, was killed when a street racer hit her broadside as she left work last June.

"These are not accidents," said CHP Officer Frost. "They are completely preventable incidents."

Instead of risky races on surface streets, Frost and his colleagues now encourage drivers to use the Sacramento Raceway, where racers can open up the throttle on a quarter-mile track every Wednesday for $8.

"We're trying to come up with a solution to get kids to race on the drag strip, not on the street," said Tony Trimp, who operates the raceway. "We're trying to get into local high schools, but some administrators don't like it because they think it promotes street racing, and I completely disagree. If you can get in there and educate them about it ... it keeps people alive."

This season's first two Wednesday race nights drew more than 1,500 young people who turned out to watch 250 cars compete for the fastest time. While Trimp is thrilled by the turnout, he and authorities want to figure out how to fill the raceway's other 5,500 seats with young people.

 

I have a problem with this since how can one differentiate a "Street Racer" ,which is what they have issues with, from a "Car Enthusiast"? This is essentially just another form of "profiling". I personally don't street race but I love modifying my car. I agree, if you're caught street racing than you deserve what you get but I don't agree that everyone else has to suffer. Funny that when I drive around the Bay Area, I see mostly unmodified family cars & large trucks flying down the freeway driving all crazy. It's not the type of car they should target...it's the idiots behind the wheel.

 

Haven't posted here in awhile.

Anyways, I agree with you whole heartedly. These new stiffer penalties should only apply to a person who was caught street racing at the time of the ticket, or any previous time.

Although I see where they are coming from with these new penalties, I still feel it's unfair to label anyone with a modified car a street racer. It's a shame that they feel they must punish everyone to weed out the bad ones. It just might not stop there.

 

I think there us a lot of us that just like to build our cars. But were going to get cought in this, it really sux.

 

Just out of curiosity....anyone know what too low is? Also, I read somwhere that the exhaust law could not really be enforced while the car was accelerating???? any truth to that?

 

"Lowered frame (or any other part) that is lower than the lowest point of the wheel rim (24008 VC)."

In most cases, you're okay. You have to be extremely slammed or your kit extremely low to meet the criteria above. It does make sense since they don't want you to lose control in case you get a flat.

Here's the full listing from CHP of what is "illegal": http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/streetlegal.html

 

That is pretty DAMN low. I think I am okay. The exhaust thing is the one that really worries me. Isn't the Db level like 92 or something? That link did not say that part.

 

Oh so I get it, as long as I keep my car stock looking I can still steet race.....got it. That whole thing is a joke. There was a fatal accident in the east bay not long ago because of kids street racing and non of those cars were modded. If I ever get a ticket because of this crap you can be sure i'll be going to court. I thought profiling was illegal.

 

http://www.dmv.ca.gov///pubs/vctop/d12/vc27151.htm

 

Exactly my point. They shouldn't target the type of car you drive but the actual idiot behind the wheel.

 

They dont have a exhaust DB they are looking for anymore. The cop doesnt have to. If you have a bigger tip on your exhaust and if he wants to give you a ticket he will. Such BS! Hardly riders dont have to play by the same rules I guess.

 

That's correct. But also keep in mind the California Vehicle Code (24400 VC) also states that your head lights must be a minimum of 22" off the ground.

24400. (a) During darkness and inclement weather, a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be equipped with at least two lighted headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, and, except as to vehicles registered prior to January 1, 1930, they shall be located directly above or in advance of the front axle of the vehicle. The headlamps and every light source in any headlamp unit shall be located at a height of not more than 54 inches nor less than 22 inches.

 

If they believe your exhaust is louder than the dB limit they can write you a ticket to visit the BAR ref and have it tested. They basically make you prove them wrong.
The sad thing is some cops are ignorant on the actual laws. I've been written a ticket for an illegal exhaust despite the fact that it was a catback exhaust w/o an EGR valve. I still had to go to the BAR ref who declared the exhaust was fine and passed my car. Still set me back $45. and there is nothing to keep the cops from writing me a ticket for the same thing in the future.

 

The biggest problem I feel is the Harley issue. They are friggin loud as hell and they have no problems, I know the law says they are exepmt from that part. Ridiculous!!! So, is the ref going to just tetst the Db level? Or do they look at the whole exhaust setup?

 

Hmm? I got to check on that one. So that would be like 2 pieces of paper from the ground. Also, is that of the actual headlight housing or the light source itself? I still think that you'd have to be really slammed to be less than 22". Anyone know the stock measurements? So in theory, If I were to take the stock height & subtract 22", this should give me the max amount of drop I can apply to my car, correct? Obviously, this would still have to follow the V24008 VC as metioned above.

 

I was written up for 27156 VC (Gross Polluter). So I'm not sure how a BAR ref would handle something he sees that is visually out of place in regards to smog/emissions (headers, straight pipes etc) if you were only written up for noise (27151 VC).
When I went to the BAR ref my exhaust was pretty loud (but legal from a smog/emissions perspective) I asked him if he needed to test the dB and he told me no since I was not written a violation for noise. But I'm not sure if it works the other way.

 

The dB limit at Laguna Seca is 92dB. California in general is 95dB =)

 

I have had CHP actually measure my headlights from the ground. Not in my Z though.

 

So, the headlight thing is 22" from the ground to the bottom of the headlight or where on the headlight?