Street racing continues to claim lives in California

Since the early 2000s, several cities in California have become the most popular places in the country for street races to take place. The warm weather, long highways and heavily populated areas make these areas the prime locations for competitive racers to burn rubber and see who’s the best of the best.

Not only are these car races illegal, but they endanger both the drivers and any unfortunate motorist that just happens to go near it. While police have made efforts to prevent these races in recent years, two related accidents within the last month show that local drivers should still have concerns when driving at night.

Competition casualties

On the evening of May 9, a driver speeding in Los Angeles struck a bicyclist before losing control at some railroad tracks and crashing into a utility pole. The driver’s speed led police to believe that they may have been involved in a street race during the incident. The bicyclist died from the crash while the driver suffered minor injuries.

Just two days later in Willowbrook, a young woman was killed at night when a speeding car did not stop at an intersection and crashed into her car. Rather than help her out, the driver and passenger of the car that hit her entered a car they had been racing with to flee the scene. The woman was trapped in her damaged car for hours until she was found dead by authorities.

How can drivers avoid them?

Unfortunately, street races can happen spontaneously and around various locations in California. They primarily occur late at night, and police have noticed some recurring trends with the area selections. They found that some of the popular spots include areas with lower populations, traffic and law enforcement that are near some of the larger cities of the state.

While having more awareness may help, it doesn’t guarantee that a reckless racer won’t hurt you or your loved ones. If you suffer from someone going too fast at night, consult with a personal injury attorney to help you with recovery payments.