A new law in Florida, SB 1764, will increase fines and potential jail time starting on July 1 for individuals who engage in street takeovers, reckless driving, and illegal racing.
The initiative, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis last month, focuses on "coordinated street takeovers," which means that ten or more vehicles operate in an organized manner to carry out a street takeover.
According to the bill, the maximum fines for first-time offenses will increase from $1,000 to $2,000. Those who commit a second offense within a year could face third-degree felony charges instead of a first-degree misdemeanor, along with a fine of up to $4,000, as reported by NBC Miami.
Offenders could also face a two-year suspension of their driver's license, and law enforcement agencies may confiscate the vehicles involved in these incidents and seek to obtain the vehicle's title through forfeiture proceedings.
In addition, starting on July 1, attendees of these events can also receive traffic violation citations and a $400 fine.
Before, it was a minor offense, so we would probably charge them with reckless driving or something similar and they wouldn't lose their vehicles. Now, with these harsher penalties, it becomes a serious offense, and they have to pay a fine of up to $4,000 plus will lose their driver's license for 2 to 4 years," explained Michael Vega, spokesperson for the Miami Police.
Representative Kiyan Michael, a Republican from Jacksonville who co-sponsored the bill, said in February that the issue is a matter of "public safety" that occurs from Jacksonville to Miami.
He also pointed out that the current penalties have not been a deterrent for many people to continue engaging in this practice.
Representative Doug Bankson, a Republican from Apopka and co-sponsor of the bill, said in March that street racing, which threatens lives, is increasing throughout the state due to popular video games and movies.
The authorities have pointed out that street takeovers and incidents of reckless driving have been increasing in recent years, being extremely dangerous for participants, spectators, and other drivers.
Numerous arrests of organizers and participants have been carried out in South Florida and the rest of the state.
A state law enacted in 2022 made it illegal to participate in street races, including takeovers, drag races, donuts, tire burns, wheelies, skids, and other related activities that can create unsafe roads.
At the end of February, the Miami-Dade police detained six young people, including one Cuban and two minors, during a joint operation with other law enforcement agencies carried out against illegal car races at certain intersections in the county.
In that case, in addition to the arrests of young people between 15 and 21 years old, during the operation the authorities imposed 29 fines and recovered a stolen car and a firearm.
Ángel Rodríguez, spokesperson for the county police, detailed that in one of the cases it was the mother of one of the minors who contacted the authorities to sound the alarm and request the arrest of her son.
Rodríguez added that in other cases it was the Highway Patrol "with their tactics" that allowed to detain the individuals.
The police recommend that anyone involved in an illegal race or intersection takeover should leave the scene and immediately call 911.
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