Wake County top spot for street racing, posing risk for local drivers - WRAL News

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RALEIGH, N.C. — On the roads, our lives depend on the drivers around us – a frightening thought as street racing continues in the Triangle area.

A small part of the population is engaging in street racing, yet its impact in our state is huge. Any law-abiding driver could suddenly be caught up in the consequences – like a mother and her 5-year-old daughter who were injured Tuesday morning on Atlantic Avenue. They were caught up in a street race as early as 4:30 a.m. The driver police said was racing his vehicle died.

WRAL Investigates worked to analyze where street racing is happening most often.

From 2020 to 2021, there were 557 charges statewide.

The following year, the overall number went down to 387, with the breakdown by county:

• Wake: 53
• Catawba: 42
• Mecklenberg: 26
• Cumberland: 20

"They often don't realize how serious it is until they've been pulled over," said Bill Powers, an attorney in Charlotte who has represented people charged for street racing.

In North Carolina, a driver could either be charged with "willful speed competition," which is spontaneous, or "prearranged speed competition," which is more serious.

Powers says oftentimes people use social media to arrange street races.

"We're seeing lately, certainly within the last few years, we're seeing a lot more of the prearranged speed competitions," he said.

In the Triangle, there's a big car culture. Matt Pavliv is part of it.

"It's kind of a case of the bad apples, right," he said.

He says the majority of car enthusiasts like himself do not condone racing – or even the stunts, like one that shut down I-40 in Durham.

"I don't know that there's a way to stop it. It's similar to all crime," he said.

He encourages people to race on recreational race tracks, not public streets.

"Get your need for speed out of your system. Put your car and your abilities to the test in a really safe manner and have considerably more fun than you'd ever have on the street – and do so without the risk of potentially hurting anyone," he said.

He suggests racing on 'Track Nights' at The Royal in Charlotte, or at the Virginia International Raceway.

If you're convicted of planned street racing, you could lose your driver's license for up to three years. You could also go to jail for up to 120 days – and even lose your car. Some seized cars end up being sold, in which case proceeds go to the school board.

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Wake County top spot for street racing, posing risk for local drivers - WRAL News
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