If you’re into fast cars and racing, it’s almost always a good idea to go the professional route and avoid the dangerous life of illegal street racing. Yet some car racers can’t resist the allure of drag racing your hot rod against another souped car on a long stretch of country road while admiring onlookers pack both sides of the street.
But street racing is not for the faint of heart because crashes (and arrests) occur all too often, and when they do, they result in serious personal injury or even death. In fact, personal injury for auto accidents, in general, happens so often that personal injury law remains one of the most lucrative careers in the U.S. and beyond. If you’re looking to get into the personal injury law space, just head on over to the Barnes Firm Careers webpage and you can gather some relevant information on what to expect.
But the fact that the law and personal injury are major components of street racing should raise a major red flag for you. That said, some racers just can’t resist racing their cars in an illegal format. Even some adrenalin junkie professional racers are said to sneak in a street race or two every year—something that surely gives their sports agents and insurers major agita.
But there are rules of the road when it comes to street racing, which in theory, is meant to protect the racers from serious injury. According to a news article, the allure of street racing is all about speed. For some folks, just possessing a fast car with a big engine doesn’t really cut it. What they have is the need for speed. That is, they crave the competition of pitting their car up against other cars and the sheer pride and elation that goes with “leaving someone in the dust.”
This need for speed began originally with horses and the need to know whose was faster. This desire to race continues today with large crowds gathering to cheer on the competitors and their hotrods. Despite the races almost always ending up in a crash and/or an arrest or two, it doesn’t seem to stop the illegal sport’s popularity
Illegal or not, here are some of the “unspoken” rules of the road when it comes to street racing.
Race Early
If you plan on street racing you need to make sure you’re not about to endanger anyone’s life. You also don’t want to get arrested if you can help it. This is why racing in the early morning hours is essential since the roads are far less crowded. If you need your sleep, find a new hobby or get used to drinking gallons of coffee.
Obey the First or Worst Rule
Apparently, this rule applies mostly to drag racers. The experts will tell you that one of the most basic rules of the sport is the “first or worst” rule. In other words, if two drivers commit identical fouls, the driver who fouled first automatically loses. But if the drivers committed different fouls, the one who committed the worst foul loses. Get it?
You, Will, be Judged by Your Tires
How do you classify cars in street racing? Not by their engines but by their tires. With car modifications becoming wilder by the day, racers have agreed upon a simpler solution for car classification. Cars get classified as “small tires” or “big tires.” In practical terms, smaller tires have less grip than larger ones.
Before You Put the Pedal to the Metal
A few things to keep clearly in mind prior to starting the race. First things first. Rev the engine. Don’t overdo it or you might damage the goods under the hood. Next item: pull up to the red traffic light and come to a complete stop. You should come as close to the car you’re racing as possible. You might also want to shoot the other driver a nasty, if not intimidating glance. When the traffic light turns green, punch the gas.
The Truth Will Set You Free
If you lie about your car being in racing shape and/or offer up misleading information, you will not only be putting your life at risk but that of the competitor also. It’s very possible if not probable that your competitor will make an adjustment to his or her driving style “according to the information you provided.” If the info is wrong, the chances of a bad accident happening could go through the roof. At the very least, this is a good way to get yourself beat up.
Kedy is a PEN author for KuldeepBisht.com and writing article on various topics that motivates the reader to do good things.
