ATLANTA — In the past year, Channel 2 Action News has reported on the arrests of dozens of drivers at illegal races, burnouts and street racing events across the metro Atlanta area.
This includes illegal street races, drivers doing donuts and disrupting traffic, putting pedestrians and other drivers in danger, laying drag and taking police and other officers on high-speed chases before being caught.
Now, members of the Georgia Senate will vote on new measures to get street racing under control in Georgia.
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Senate Bill 160 would change penalties for drivers involved in reckless stunt driving and add new ways to keep them from dangerous activities.
Should it pass, the bipartisan bill would require some drivers to have “intelligent speed assistance devices” installed in their vehicles to cap their speeds.
The provision specifies that the devices would have to be installed via court order, and would impact drivers upon a second conviction, or beyond, for violating state stunt driving statutes.
For those who have these speed limiting devices installed, the legislation would require their miles per hour be set to 70 mph, and that the devices have to be installed in the car within 10 days of the order coming down from a judge.
The speed setting devices would have to stay in the vehicle and be used for a minimum of three months, though exactly how long is up to the court.
The drivers who have to have the speed limits set for them would be the ones who have to pay for the installation.
The Georgia Department of Revenue would also have a record of the vehicle and its device status, only allowing the vehicle to drive when the device is installed.
Driving without the installed device after a conviction that requires it would count as a misdemeanor charge.
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