Illegal street racing continues to advance in popularity, especially among young male adults. Nationally and internationally, illegal street racing is claiming hundreds of lives and injuring thousands annually.
Illegal street races are notorious for being poorly controlled and randomly organized. They also operate with a minimum of rules and safety measures. New communicative technology such as websites, cell phones and underground publications as well as a new generation with more free time, financial resources and a passion for speed has significantly heightened the risk for both participants and bystanders.
As recently as 2002 San Diego suffered the devastation of 16 deaths and 31 serious injuries as a direct result of illegal street racing activity. When these 2002 data were converted to a combined mortality/morbidity incidence rate, we were faced with the fact that for every 1,000 young people who choose to illegal street race in our community, 49 were either killed or seriously injured. A rate of that magnitude was properly defined as epidemic in nature.
The RaceLegal.com program was formed in 1998 by Dr. Stephen J. Bender, Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology/Biostatistics in San Diego State University’s Graduate School of Public Health. Via a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, a comprehensive grass root community based coalition entitled “Closing the Loop” was initiated. This coalition involved city/county government, local law enforcement , Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), Superior Court, City Attorney, District Attorney, county probation as well as the safer and sanctioned RaceLegal.com track alternative to illegal street racing.
The results are impressive:
| Year | Deaths | + | Injuries | = | Total | Decrease Compared to Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 16 | 31 | 47 | base year | ||
| 2003 | 4 | 6 | 10 | -79% | ||
| 2004 | 6 | 15 | 21 | -55% | ||
| 2005 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -96% | ||
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -98% | ||
| 2007 | 12 | 4 | 15 | -68% |
Turnaround of this magnitude in the appropriate direction is impressive and a direct result of a community joining shoulder-to-shoulder and simply saying "enough is enough." The "Closing the Loop" approach to intervention quickly made San Diego a poor choice for illegal street racing activity, thus the stellar turn around in illegal street racing related death and injury over the six year reporting period.
WHY
We at RaceLegal.com are often asked, “Why is it that high-risk illegal street racing behavior is so widespread and predominantly an adolescent male based activity?”
Over the years we have asked that very question of our constituency and the answers have been consistent in terms of categorization. Our predominately young male participants mention that they “enjoy taking risks and living dangerously,” especially in the company of friends and acquaintances; their “admiration of others who take risks” – especially if they succeed; the “excitement” of occasionally running from law enforcement and/or a near crash; the “thrill of competition,” “high stakes wagering;” "something to do" on any given night; the “low risk of being apprehended” and an attitude that a crash and/or apprehension simply "won't happen to me." The characterization of these answers would indicate that these young men are members of an automobile based “social culture” of thrill seekers more than willing to risk life and limb in the pursuit of an illegal competition that results in personal satisfaction and peer admiration. It seems that there is total disregard for the downside consequences of a crash that has deadly potential for them, as well as innocent bystanders. Can it be that simple? Surely there’s more.
For example, is gender difference really hard wired as it relates to risk taking? The modern science of gene mapping and brain imaging would say yes. Contemporary thinking subscribes to the notion that gender related risk taking is real, biologically programmed and relevant in terms of predictable behavior. This theory purports that there is a predisposition for risk taking that is biologically programmed and then amplified and exaggerated by society.
Many researchers are also of the opinion that risky and dangerous activities (i.e. illegal street racing) trigger a “flight or fight” response favored by many young men. It gives them a tingle, a high, an excitement that many young men find irresistible. It’s the very essence of living life dangerously. Risk taking for these young males is for its own sake, the thrill of the risk is paramount. And, it’s more likely to take place in the presence of other young males. Simply stated, “It’s a guy thing.”
IMPLICATIONS
The foregoing theory can be useful as a basis for meaningful intervention. For example, in San Diego, we chose to address the epidemic of illegal street racing that we experienced as recently as 2002 with a multi-faceted “Closing the Loop” intervention that includes a safer and sanctioned track alternative to illegal street racing. Our theory was based on meeting the inherent needs of the young male illegal street racer discussed above by re-directing their high risk behavior into a significantly safer and sanctioned alternative. Our mantra is simple, “Race Track, Not Street – It Works. As a result we have experienced a 98% improvement in our illegal street racing associated mortality/morbidity since the 2002 baseline year.
MISSION STATEMENT
RaceLegal.com, the safer and sanctioned track alternative to illegal street racing, was developed with one goal in mind. Saving the needless loss of young lives to an illegal street race gone bad is RaceLegal.com’s mantra. To that end we have been remarkably effective. The concept was one of providing a youth oriented environment in a neutral and centrally located location where we could replicate a street environment, but with safer and sanctioned conditions that insured the safety of our racers and their fans. The under pinning is one of skillfully redirecting illegal street racing behavior to the safer and sanctioned sport of drag racing in a youth oriented setting. As sated above, the results are impressive.
COMMUNITY BASED INTERVENTION
Most communities view illegal street racing activity solely from a law enforcement perspective. In San Diego we choose to view this high risk behavior as a broader public health and safety issue. With that concept in mind we developed a comprehensive community based solution entitled “Closing the Loop on Illegal Street Racing.”
The "Closing the Loop" approach to intervention is comprehensive, across the board and accomplished with a spirit of cooperation between all agencies involved. The community realized early on that we were not likely to significantly impact this high risk behavior without the combined and committed effort of rigorous law enforcement, consistent adjudication, meaningful probation and a user friendly track alternative like RaceLegal.com.
The paradigm developed is outlined in the diagram below:
As reported above, the results in the appropriate direction are unprecedented and testament to what a community in unison can accomplish.
ECONOMIC AND EMOTIONAL IMPACT
When they happen, illegal street racing involved crashes tend to steal the headlines. Most often they are very violent in nature and end with a fatal and/or serious injury outcome.
This situation is exacerbated by the fact that these events are not accidents; they are crashes that are totally predictable and preventable. These incidents are clearly the needless loss of young lives and/or innocent bystanders.
The attendant emotional devastation suffered by families and loved ones goes without saying. However, an often unmentioned fact is the devastating economic impact of these crashes.
Recent (2001) California Highway Patrol - Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System (SWITRS) data indicates that the economic cost of a fatal automobile crash is some $2,700,000. A serve injury has a price tag of $188,000., complaint of pain - $20,000. and property damage weighs in at $2,000.
Therefore, utilizing just the SWITRS death and injury cost estimates we can project that the 27 deaths and 54 serious injuries that have occurred in San Diego as a direct result of an illegal street racing involved crash since 2002 resulted in an economic cost of some $83,052,000. That’s right, over 83 million in costs associated with these crashes that were both preventable and predictable. And that is just San Diego alone. Imagine the cost incurred when you include the state and entire nation.
Some additional data analysis utilizing the standard SWITRS formula and our 2002 baseline findings, we can realistically project that 53 lives have been saved and an additional 101 serious injuries avoided as a result of the San Diego “Closing the Loop” on illegal street racing intervention. It is safe to say that, at a minimum, an economic savings of some $162,088,000. has been attained as a direct result of this reduction of illegal street racing involved crashes in San Diego.
And, least we forget the enormous amount of pain and suffering that has been spared families, friends, relatives and the community as a whole as a result of this positive turn of events.
PROJECT GOALS
- Provide a minimum of 12 annual safer and sanctioned track alternative to illegal street racing “events” at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
- Continue to serve as an integral aspect of San Diego's "Closing the Loop" approach to intervention as it relates to the incidence of illegal street racing in our community.
- Continue to organize the San Diego community via the techniques of social marketing, media advocacy and creative epidemiology in an effort to maintain high level community awareness of the incidence local illegal street racing activity, driving unbuckled and '0' tolerance as it relates to drinking and driving.
- Provide consulting expertise to other communities interested in becoming a RaceLegal.com associate member.