With Automobile Accidents on the Rise do We Live in a Reality of a ‘Fast & Furious’ World?

As soon as “The Fast and the Furious” arrived on the silver screen in 2001, car enthusiasts (young and old), speed fanatics, and thrill seekers flocked to the theater to vicariously experience the adrenaline rush of illegal street racing.

Seven films later and the illegal street racing story-line still draw a loyal crowd to theaters.

Enter the age old debate of “life imitating art”, residents in Oklahoma are aware of the increased interest in racing on city streets. As a result, car accidents in Oklahoma continue to occur for reckless and preventable reasons. According to the Census Bureau, the incidents of fatal motor vehicle accidents in the state continue to rise.

What is going on in Oklahoma?

Note: The illustration above shows the amount of insured drivers by state. Oklahoma has the lowest number of insured drivers at 74.1%. Or technically the highest number of uninsured drivers at 25.9%, i.e. 100 – 74.1 = 25.9%

Reckless Driving is Rampant as Drivers get Hostile

According to Cornell’s Legal Information Institute, reckless driving can be generally defined as driving a motor vehicle at a speed greater than or in a manner other that what is reasonable, especially given the conditions of traffic, weather, and road surface.

What is Reckless Driving?

Reckless driving includes speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, driving aggressively, having too many passengers, driving after drinking (but not intoxicated), making poor navigational choices, taking any driving action that will ultimately put anyone’s life at risk.

By definition, street racing falls under the category of reckless driving. Even with experienced drivers, skilled in driving at top speeds, street racing is far more dangerous than racing at a closed track.

Reckless Driving Laws & Limits by State

Below is a table list of each state’s reckless driving limit, if there is one, plus mandatory and maximum penalty. Included is each state’s maximum speed limit.

*Containers left blank is “No Limit”

Higher Amounts of Vehicular, Property Damage, & Insurance Premiums

The rate of incidence and damage to public property (including streets) is much higher. Additionally, street racing breaks laws and drivers (and passengers) often fail to follow safety precautions or use equipment necessary in a standard race car.

A steady increase in your auto insurance premium is guaranteed. Look at the average increase you will pay by insurer with the table below.

For example, if you are paying a $1,500 premium with a careless speeding ticket you could pay at much $2,150. For reckless driving you could pay $2,436. Which is $650 and $936 in additional cost per year for the next three years.

All I can is “Wow!”

A report from CNN suggests that there are generally three types of street racing challenges: spontaneous contests between drivers who wind up meeting up at the same stop light, roving parties where racers take over highways, and planned events where racers compete for money.

Each challenge poses a threat to racers and innocent motorists alike. It only takes one careless acceleration or swift turn of the wheel to cause a fatal accident.

Note: As illustrated, the drivers with the highest amount of drivers insured. Massachusetts is the highest at 96.2%. Or only 3.8% of drivers are uninsured in the state. Maine is at 95.3% insured drivers or 4.7% of drivers are uninsured, and so on.

An Unlikely Event from Street Racing in Oklahoma

In October, an 18-year old Tulsa resident, Cing Uap, was killed in a collision involving street racers. Uap was returning home from a church function when her family’s minivan was struck by another car traveling almost 100 miles per hour.

Uap died from her injuries while her injured siblings were expected to recover. The driver, who collided with the van, had a pending arrest dependent on toxicology reports.

“When it comes to states with many uninsured drivers, Oklahoma has more than its fair share: Only 74 percent of its drivers are insured. It also has one of the 15 worst scores in DUIs per thousand drivers and the number of people killed per thousand drivers in auto accidents.” – CBSNews.com

The other street racer fled the scene of the accident. Both street racing and fleeing the scene of a crime are illegal and are most likely to be charged as such regardless of the outcome of the toxicology report.

Note: The percentage increase in consequences from street racing. There is an increase in traffic collisions plus bodily injury. An increase in trespassing and property damage, plus auto thefts.

Glorification of Street Racing? or Not?

The problem of street racing in Oklahoma remains prominent as it has made a place for itself on reality television. “Street Outlaws”, a Discovery Channel show, glorifies reckless driving and continues to excite viewers with dangerous and illegal driving behaviors.

On one hand, street racing continues to thrive in Oklahoma cities, on the other hand, police officers are given concrete evidence (through watching the reality show) that can assist them in catching and taking charge of a hard-to-catch act of reckless driving.

Note: The amount of vehicle accidents year by year from street racing. Many law enforcement and experts believe the increase in accidents is fueled by social media. Participants in street racing like to post the exploits on social media. Popular hashtags are #streetrace, #streeto, #streetdrift, #streetoutlaws, and #1320.

Ways to Stay Safe while Driving on Oklahoma Roadways

While many street racers take to the streets during the nighttime hours, many innocent motorist need to be aware of the dangers associated with careless street racers and how to avoid being caught in the path of street race.

If you witness a street race, try to pull over to safety and call the authorities.

Like any aggressive and reckless driver, don’t try to take matters into your own hands. Never challenge a driver, make obscene gestures, or make equally dangerous driving decisions.

Note: As illustrated, the state with the highest amount of street racers is Oklahoma with 11.1 drivers per 100,000. Followed by Nevada with 7.64 drivers per 100,000, and so on.  Source

If possible, avoid street racing “hot spots”. Teenagers are impressionable and make up a large demographic of “street racing” fans.

If you have a teen driver, have a frank discussion about the danger behind illegal street racing, emphasizing that life does not, in fact, need to imitate art.

Consequences & Final Thoughts

For many drivers, the need for speed is a fantasy that most responsible drivers leave to the imagination, rather than act out on the road.

There are too many consequences for reckless and illegal driving behaviors; leave the racing to the professionals and the stunt actors on the big screen.

Sources

http://www.newson6.com/story/

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a26101/illegal-street-racing-wont-go-away/

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/a29234/everything-we-know-about-fast-and-furious-8/

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/g4289/50-states-speeding-laws-flipbook/

https://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/traffic-ticket-calculator.aspx

http://www.ktvn.com/story/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars

Jacob Masters

Jacob Masters is a freelance writer and author who has worked in the health industry for over a decade. His goal in life is to increase the internet knowledge base one article at a time. He also likes to push the boundaries through his city wide evening excursions as a guerrilla gardener.