The problem of street racing on our streets and roadways continues to be a problem for law enforcement agencies across the state of Arizona. In December of 2019, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) was awarded some $601K by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). Of those funds, $244,280 was awarded to specialized programs including those which address the growing problem of street racing.
According to NBC Channel 12 News in Phoenix, the DPS has just been awarded an additional $30,000 will be awarded to combat street racing specifically.
National statistics indicate that Arizona has the second-highest number of drivers that have received citations for street racing in the United States. On average, just nine of every 100,000 drivers receive a citation for street racing. In Arizona, that average is 9.23% or 28 out of every 100,000 who is cited with a street racing violation. According to the website, Insurify, there were approximately 15 deaths per every 100,000 drivers in Arizona that were directly related to street racing in 2017.
In February, 18-year-old Felix Cardoza lost his life when he was street racing against another vehicle near Shea Boulevard and State Route 51. Earlier this month, DPS troopers pulled over two cars along Interstate 17 near Indian School Road. A spokesperson for DPS said that the vehicles were clocked at speeds of approximately 90 miles per hour.
Officials say that while there is less traffic on Arizona roadways since residents were advised to stay at home, speeds along highways and interstates have increased. DPS and other Arizona law enforcement agencies say that they will be using a portion of the funds awarded by the GOHS to put additional officers on the streets to help address the problem.
