[NMNeil]

It had to happen, they are crushing street racers cars; again.

And the idea may be coming to the UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/p...ly-in-48-hours

[Rolebama]

I agree with this sentiment 100%. I have on too many occasions been run off the road* by them.

*I have voluntarily left the road when being confronted by vehicles coming at me that are on my side of the road, racing, or had them emerging from a bend coming at me.

[Drivingforfun]

Is this as rife as it sounds in the UK? In ~10 years / 250,000 miles I've never come across drivers who looked to be using the public road to have a race

I guess it's more prevalent in cities? Which is something that puzzles me in itself when there are so many nice B roads but not that I want them to realise 🙄

[olduser]

I don't see how scraping after 48 hours rather than 14 days makes any difference to the offenders.

Whilst I am no fan of such activities but nor am I fan fan of police justice as this puts too much power into the hands of the police, they are after all as human as the rest of us.
14 days gave time for the offender to reclaim the vehicle, the police could counter this with a summons, and the matter settled in court.

I can well see how an innocent driver could get caught up in one of these events, couple that with an overzealous police officer, and injustice will be done.

The only beneficiaries I can see from this new legislation are the police, if they have made a mistake the whole thing is over in 48 hrs and a major piece of evidence will have been destroyed.

If we are to have a police force who police by consensus rather than say, the S.A.S, then the vehicle should be destroyed on a courts say so not the police's.
There is an argument that says, 'on maters such as this the court will always go with the police', my response is, 'we should look at the courts then', the courts are supposed to represent society and decide if society has been offended (laws have been broken). and if so have the police got clear proof. The court, on behalf of society, then looks into are there any mitigating circumstances to be taken into account.

Yes, it is longwinded but the philosophy is, better to miss one offender rather punish the innocent.

[Rolebama]

There are a number of videos of these races on Youtube. Most of those I see are in the 'Karma' posts, where they have been caught on dashcams, then been apprehended by the Police.

[NMNeil]

Originally Posted by olduser

I don't see how scraping after 48 hours rather than 14 days makes any difference to the offenders.

Whilst I am no fan of such activities but nor am I fan fan of police justice as this puts too much power into the hands of the police, they are after all as human as the rest of us.
14 days gave time for the offender to reclaim the vehicle, the police could counter this with a summons, and the matter settled in court.

If someone shows they can't be trusted with a knife or gun, they get it taken away and it's destroyed, why should the car be treated differently? It is after all a deadly weapon in the wrong hands.

[Drivingforfun]

A gun, less so a knife depending on the type, isn't a weapon in the wrong hands, it's just a weapon

I don't like to think myself as a "Libtard" but I think I'm with Olduser. All this law does, surely, is remove the opportunity for innocent people to petition - if you're guilty who cares if it takes 2 weeks to have your car crushed, if anything it extends their anxiety for an extra 12 days

Surely increasing detections is more effective than increasing punishment of - already detected - criminals?? I think it's like increasing the penalty for mobile phone use... make it life in prison and a £500,000 fine but if you don't catch anyone in the first place it's just an impotent signal... if people knew they WOULD get caught and the fine was just 3 points, they likely wouldn't do it

[olduser]

Originally Posted by NMNeil

If someone shows they can't be trusted with a knife or gun, they get it taken away and it's destroyed, why should the car be treated differently? It is after all a deadly weapon in the wrong hands.

Society's across the world do not see the car as a weapon, we accept the deaths or injuries and, as far as society is concerned, any deaths due to transport are rated as accidents.
It is vary rare for a driver to set off with the intent to kill.
On the other hand, there is little other use for knifes and guns but killing.
Give any creature a weapon and it will use it.

Carrying a weapon 'just in case' I think, is not a defence in the UK.

I am unable to find any breakdown of stats to show how many deaths there are due to racing on public roads but I am sure it would be highlighted in the media when it happens. The main complaint is it's a public nuisance, which of course it is.

In the case of knifes and guns, they are confiscated as evidence, and may well be returned, depending on the courts judgement.
All I am trying to say, is cars should be at least the same, the court decides not the police.

Whenever people have absolute power over others, the outcome is rarely beneficial to all.
I admire the work the police do, I can see it is not an easy job but if I were in the police, I would appose any legislation that left the police having to decide a persons guilt.
Yes the police might feel someone is guilty, their job is to collect evidence to prove this but it is for the court to decide the validity of that evidence. That way, society is then assured that the evidence was/is rock solid, therefore any resultant punishment is fair, as apposed to, they were punished on the police say so, cancelling out any argument like, the police had it in for him.

[Rolebama]

If you are caught with an offensive weapon, it is confiscated as evidence. You would not get it back until/unless a court found you not guilty of the offense. This could take months.
Not that many years ago I was arrested for using my car as an offensive weapon after a collision. The charge was dropped at interview, when it was decided that I had been caught in a crash for cash scheme.

[NMNeil]

Originally Posted by olduser

Yes the police might feel someone is guilty, their job is to collect evidence to prove this but it is for the court to decide the validity of that evidence.

Exactly. So the police need to keep that evidence secure in case a judge want's to see it, and that includes cell phones used to record an incident.
As for vehicles deliberately used to kill and maim.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...amming_attacks