Cars are some of the most exciting things to watch. Typically the best places to watch cars are in the south where cars can freely run without fear of inclement weather. The Arizona car scene has been attracting serious crowds in the past few years as racing as been growing more popular than ever before. Car line up on a deserted street or track and race as fast as they an for cash or another sought out prize. Sometimes the must show stopping cars and luxurious cars are brought out to keep the audience more engaged.
While Arizona street racing is prohibited and can punish people with a ticket, the show is still going on. Even if a cop sees you drive or accelerate quickly by yourself, you could get a ticket for racing or more likely a ticket for speeding instead. As exciting as it sounds to be a part of the Arizona car scene and its thrilling races, it is more wise to stay safe and refrain from any illegal activity overall. Let’s walk through how drag racing in Arizona is prohibited and what the consequences could be if you try it.
The Arizona driving scene is off the charts.
Arizona street racing consequences
Someone can run into some costly consequences if they are found to be racing by a cop. Many automobile clubs in Arizona have to be wary of these punishments so their members aren’t fined a lot of money and get their privileges taken away. Racing on any street or highway is a class 1 misdemeanor in the state of Arizona. If you happen to be convicted by the local court, a driver in Arizona will face a harsh fine of no less than $250. They might also be ruled to complete a certain amount of community service, and they could have their ultimate driving privileges suspended for up to 90 days. That’s a long time to be off the road, let alone someone who loves driving or racing cars. If a driver is convicted of racing, the court will notify the MVD who will put 8 points on the driver’s license. This will trigger an order from the MVD that the driver must attend an 8-hour traffic survival school class that is held only in person to qualify. Definitely a lot of hassle you don’t want to deal with from the government.
If a driver is convicted of racing a second time in public, they will have to pay a hefty fine of nothing lower than $500. Then, there community service will be multiplied and their will have their license suspended as well. In fact, to scare you even more if the second conviction is within two years of the first, the driver will deemed guilty of a class 6 felony. This means that they will not be able to request for probation, pardon, or any other release until they served at least ten days in jail. Once they paid their dues and are out of imprisonment, their driving privileges will be completely taken away. You don’t want to risk all those privileges for a few minutes of outdoor fun!
Defense for drag racing in Arizona
If you or someone you know is charged with street racing, don’t fret completely until you know all the defenses that you can use to protect yourself. Arizona street racing poses a long list of charges that could be prevented if can proof a few important details. Since the Arizona law requires the involvement of multiple vehicles for drag racing to occur, you could possibly argue in court that no other vehicles were involved in the situation. This defense can be effective when only one driver was cited down from the day of the drag racing incident. Typically police officers work in traffic by themselves so they can only pull over one care at time and could have they can only pull over one car at a time and could have “missed” other people thought to be involved.
Another defense that you can use includes feeling from a road rage incident and not involving another driver who was possibly stopped by the cop. You could argue that you were trying to get away from a driver who was acting reckless and who was trying to work against you by not halting at all. You could say that you were in danger if you didn’t flee from the seen as long as your car was ahead of theirs in the situation. In addition to protecting yourself on that aspect, you have to make sure that the cop said your Miranda rights or else any other evidence could be thrown out of the court. Also make sure that all the photos and videos from the street are definitely your car and are accurate so you aren’t being wrongly accused of something you may have not done. It’s better to take time to look at all the evidence so you can save yourself from the penalty.
Phoenix auto events in the future
It is crucial that auto clubs now in Arizona protect themselves before anyone gets hurt. If you do happen to get caught in the middle of a drag racing issue with the cops, reassess your rights and think of the ways you could have not be directly related to the alleged crime. The Arizona car scene is ever changing and needs to be careful of new changes to laws as well. There’s more than just drag racing to have fun with amazing cars in the state’s beautiful weather. Look at your resources for exciting and legal Arizona car events that are going on for all auto lovers. Get your engines running and explore what’s out there!
Watch out for Arizona racing laws.