Street-racing being driven from misdemeanor to felony

John Benoit, Palm Desert representative to the California State Assembly, is reintroducing an amended version of AB 2190 this year. The bill addresses illegal street-racing and would increase penalties for street-racers, including a four to ten year prison sentence if someone is killed by the activity. According to the DMV, street-racing has resulted in more than 40 deaths since 2001, while arrests of street-racers has increased by nine percent since 2004.
Reasons why people street-race, states CHP Sergeant Matt Boothe, range from younger drivers possessing 'invincibility complexes' to the availability of low-cost small, high-performance vehicles like modified Acuras.

Other laws in California dealing with the issue allow Los Angeles County police officers to confiscate and destroy such vehicles.

[Source: Whittier Daily News]