BALTIMORE — Street racing in Baltimore might be a thing of the past. The city passed a new law that bans people from stunt driving and racing.
Anyone caught street racing or performing doughnuts in intersections will be fined $1,000 or sentenced to one year in jail.
For years, car clubs traveled to Baltimore and brought, what many call, chaos to the streets. The reckless driving has caused traffic problems and safety issues.
"What pushed me to move forward on a bill was not only the constituent request, but also the fact that they were shutting down intersections and preventing ambulances from getting to hospitals," said Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer.
Don Perry is a Baltimore County resident. He says the street racing turned him sour towards the city, and he's not impressed with this new law because he doesn't believe the city will truly implement it.
"They pass a lot of laws but are they enforced? Probably not, that's the problem. It's unfortunate businesses in the city are being depleted by people who want to go to the city but they don't feel safe to go to the city," said Perry.
Others like city resident Esther Causion, believe this new law is a step in the right direction. She hopes instead of people choosing a new spot to street race, drivers will understand the harm it can cause.
"No matter how good your driving skills are, no matter how fun it seems, there is at a lot of danger to that and there is a place that you can go and become a racecar driver if that's what you want to do, but the streets of Baltimore is not a place for that," said Causion.
This new law will go into effect next month.
