State Leaders Propose Crack Down on Exhibition Driving, Drag Racing

Street racing, while an awe-inspiring sport for many, is extremely dangerous and illegal. In most cases, street race crashes happen when the driver loses control of the motor vehicle, striking a pedestrian or crashing into parked cars. According to an ALXnow legal review, approximately 70 percent of street racing happens at night and 50 percent happens on commercial roads, residential streets, and parking lots. Most drag racing cars have special modifications that make them faster and louder, meaning the disruption to the community is twofold: noise pollution and an increased risk of accidental injuries.

During COVID, many Village of River Hill residents and the greater Clarksville/Columbia community witnessed an uptick in this dangerous activity in their neighborhoods.The RHCA Board of Directors held a Town Hall meeting to address the problem in 2022, and local law enforcement worked to curtail street racing throughout the Village. However, a recent rise in this activity has prompted lawmakers in Annapolis to attempt to crack down on street drag racing and exhibition driving across Maryland.

Maryland Senate Bill 147, entitled “Street Racing and Exhibition Driving-Prohibited Acts, Enforcement, and Penalties,” sponsored by Anne Arundel County Senator Pamela Beidle, aims to stiffen penalties, add points to a driver’s license, and potentially immediately impound a vehicle. Further, Maryland Senate Bill 229, entitled “Vehicle Laws-Noise Abatement Monitoring Systems-Authorization, Use, and Penalties,” authorizes the use of noise abatement monitoring systems by local governments and provides for a citation and civil penalty. Residents in support of these bills are encouraged to email State Senator Beidle at pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us and the Howard County Delegation by visiting www.howardcountymd.gov/state-delegation.