Need for illegal speed - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Falchoon · 06-18-2002, 21:16

From The Canberra Times

This is similar to the "story" on Today Tonight the other night.

WELL-ORGANISED groups of illegal street racers are using public roads including the Barton Highway and Canberra's landmark Anzac Parade to take each other on and push their cars to speeds of more than 200km/h.

They use mobile phone calls, decoys and lookouts to prevent being apprehended by police but are still prepared to risk losing their licence, car, and perhaps their lives, to achieve the adrenalin rush.

Late on Friday night pairs of cars were racing along Anzac Parade - the nation's boulevard to honour the war dead - with this pictured Torana driver claiming to have reached a top speed of 180km/h.

Another speeding ute narrowly missed colliding with a car which was trying to cross Anzac Parade.

''People want to go as fast as their car will take them,'' the Torana driver said. ''Some will go 140, some 220 [km/h], it just depends on the car.''

The Monaro Highway, Hindmarsh Drive and Dairy Flat Road are also used as racing strips.

''Basically anywhere there's a straight road, you race,'' another driver said.

Canberra dragway supporters argue that illegal street racing will continue to be a problem until there is a local dragway.

Canberra International Dragway manager Geoff Develin said the ACT Government's announcement on Wednesday that it would not be funding a dragway in this year's Budget was a grave mistake.

''The simple evidence available is that there has been a significant increase in illegal activity since the closure of the dragway [in 1998],'' Mr Develin said.

ACT Treasurer Ted Quinlan said building a $6.2 million dragway would not stop illegal street racing because he believed the drivers enjoyed the ''thrill of breaking the rules''. He didn't doubt some illegal racers might shift to the dragway but suspected most wanted to show off and rebel in a public place.

However, the Australian Federal Police Association does believes a dragway will help to reduce street racing.

AFPA chief executive officer Laurie Hutchison last year wrote to then sport and recreation minister Bill Stefaniak, saying its members ''fully supported'' the introduction of a dragway in the ACT.

The police had from 1994 until the dragway closed, operated Project Drivewise taking young drivers to the dragway where they had supervised races ''in an effort to reduce the incidence of drag racing on public streets'', Mr Hutchison wrote.

AFPA spokesman Dave Boston confirmed yesterday that was still the association's position.

The Australian Federal Police would not comment about the street racing.

Pearly · 06-18-2002, 22:03

We used to have one of those "well-organised" meets on Sunday nights here. Till there was a massive bust by the local police. We made the local paper and everything! - not that I'm proud.
But we never did it in major roads, it was more in secret little courts... and we didn't race, it was burnouts(tell ya what... nothing like a big cloud of smoke at night). One time, this little buggy with a Chev 350 came down and was rippin' up the court like nuts. We where there for about 2 hours before the police showed up... anyway, what I'm getting at is, you shouldn't do it. Some of us nearly lost our cars (some ppl did). Last I heard they where organising them again in another area... different local police to work with... but I'm not gonna risk loosing my car.

tickford2001 · 06-19-2002, 01:09

yeh pearly there are a couple of "very well organised" illegal drags around dandenong - endeavour hills - ferntree gully area. They run like the way falchoon was talking about with spotters and stuff. One time the police hooked up some video camera's at the location where they used to meet and filmed the whole lot! Most of the guys lost their cars i think...but they did deserve it, nearly killed several innocent people

cracka · 06-19-2002, 01:30

well there u have it a perfect example of..."loose lips sink ships"......some sneaky work being done behinds the scenes is the National COPPERS DOING HOONING LAWS....WHICH THE END RESULT WILL BE...........AGE/HORSE POWER..OR WHAT THE GOVT. DEEM FIT..........bullshit?.....well just wait and see.........and ya can winge and complain all ya want...............these forums need to be a bit more discrete......as i said.......it's b4 the meetings of transport ministers..........

The Fonz · 06-19-2002, 02:37

Cracka your right only a bunch of old fogies here. They never got up to H.R Funstuff when there young and no-one should rat on their mates it just not the aussie thing to do. If you get killed or injured in drags its only your fault. H.P restriction 110kmph speedos, 4 cylinder cars powered by batteries if the government ever has its way. Gone are the days in the 70's when you could get the speedo of the gauge and only get a slap on the wrist now speedsters are as bad as drug dealers and peadophiles while the govt fatcats and alll the Alan Bondies of the world get of scott free. I suppose males can put out their adrenaline in all sorts of worser acts than drag racing im sure, look at the westside of Sydney- skinheads vs triads vs wogs vs lebs that what happens when you take all the outlets away.

- its a bird or is it a plane, no its a Yamaha R 1 !!!

06-19-2002, 03:28

To deny that illegal street racing is happening is absurd. We now have politicians who would rather ban "race type" ads than to dig deep and find some money to build local facilities. I am sure Fonz being a Newcastle boy knows exactly what i mean. If you don't allow people some way to express themselves legally then often they will find illegal means. To some people a 3 or so hour drive to Sydney with a car float through afternoon peak hour is not their idea of fun. What are the poor guys in Canberra supposed to do? Drive to the Creek? Tow their car to Calder Park? I really fear for the future of motoring in Australia for all enthusiasts. We are just copping a flogging on so many fronts it easn't even funny. Look at all the protests and bitching people had to do to get the new ECR track to go ahead. Will it take a death for the pollies in the ACT to wake up? Even that will just result in a police blitz and people having to go to further lengths to participate in their SPORT. Their never seems to be a shortage of money for netball courts or football and cricket grounds does there? Wake up Canberra.

laminge · 06-19-2002, 04:26

Quote:

Originally posted by The Fonz
Cracka your right only a bunch of old fogies here. They never got up to H.R Funstuff ...........................

At 34 I am far from an OLD Fogie......................

and if so, this old fogie is being pushed to the limit......... I have voiced my concerns on illegal drag racing... if your not happy with the way the forum is moderated

The Answer is simple!

laminge · 06-19-2002, 04:28

Cracka

This old fogie also doesnt understand your post..................

The Fonz · 06-19-2002, 05:05

Laminge perhaps we should put a few things out in the open. Very few places have 'legal' drag racing areas for one to 'test' their car out. Sydney has Eastern Creek, Newcastle has um.....
nothing. Nowonder there is so much illegal racing. Most people will know in Newcastle where they will take their car for a blast and I won't comment on those places.

I did'nt know Canberra did not have a drag strip either, life is stuffed aigh. Me and my mates have money from work they chuck into their cars or hot bikes where else are you going to put your money? Better that than going to get drunk on Friday night and going on a rampage?

As for speeding being a big bad activity it seems no-one cares about kids getting killed in the bush they only target city slickers as it is a 'target rich envirnoment'. Laminge Im sure you know my story about Kane and Co and their end. More kids get killed in the bush per ratio in the country and the govt don't care. Cynical politics at its highest and a sure fire revenue raiser in the city. Australia roads are some of the worst in the world (no-one bothers to fix them) and driver training is non-existant.
It about time a true motorist action group is formed and put these low life pollies into line as they did in the UK.

Maybe Newcastle should not be a safe labour seat it should swing like every other one. Then those filthy gutless pollies will be throwing money like water into the city as it is going out of fashion. Newcastle still is the same old run-down unemployment capital of Australia and hey it will probably stay that way. Its like Sydney is the capital of Australia and all the money gets funneled into there and the grim pickings go elsewhere.

laminge · 06-19-2002, 05:22

Ok

Thats fine, go for it!

I will not think less of you for attending, doing that.