Police issue warning to street racers in Birmingham
Police say they have a zero-tolerance approach to street racing in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police say they are on "high alert" as reports of a planned street racing event in Birmingham tonight continue to circulate.
There are high court injunctions in place across the city and in the Black Country that bans street racing, meaning anyone involved--including drivers, organisers, and spectators--can be arrested and prosecuted.
34 people have already been arrested and 380 tickets issued to people driving carelessly, had illegal window tints, or illegal number plates.
West Midlands Police said: "We’re using advanced technology and surveillance to track down street racers and increasing patrols in areas where we know dangerous driving is a problem.
"Street racing is extremely dangerous. These type of meet up events put everyone in danger - pedestrians, spectators, other drivers, and even racers themselves.
"Cars are deadly weapons. One wrong move, one loss of control, and people could get seriously hurt or even killed. It's just not worth the risk."
In the last eight months, 155 section 59 of the Public Reform Act have been issued to street racers. This order means that a vehicle can be seized if police reasonably believe it's being used in a manner that is causing, or likely to cause, alarm, distress, or annoyance to the public.
DC Mark Campbell, from Operation Hercules, said: " We're committed to making our roads safer for everyone. Officers will be out in force over the weekend to crack down on street racing and car cruising.
“We've had success in identifying and stopping dangerous drivers, and we'll continue to use advanced technology and surveillance to catch offenders. Our priority is ensuring that our roads are safe for all."
Just yesterday (29 Aug), a 21-year-old from Handsworth was sentenced for dangerous driving. Mohammed Aadam was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence and a two-year driving ban after being caught racing on the A38 Sutton Coldfield bypass on 6 July.