Florida lawmakers look to rev up penalties on street racing with proposed bill

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida lawmakers are hoping enhanced penalties for both participants and spectators will finally throw the brakes on illegal racing and so-called street takeovers. 

The legislature is currently considering bills that would increase fines and jail time for anyone involved. 

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SB 1764 covers a wide range of racing crimes. Those include stunt maneuvers like drifting and donuts, illegal car club meet-ups, street and intersection takeovers, and aggressive driving.

South Florida has seen a growing wave of street takeovers in recent years, which shut down roads and intersections and block emergency vehicles. 

"Street takeovers are a real problem. People are dying. People are getting injured, and it’s a very coordinated and organized scheme, especially amongst the 16 to 29-year-olds in the state of Florida," bill sponsor Jason Pizzo told Senate Transportation Committee Members last month. "It has resulted in deaths in my district. Intersections are taken over and emergency vehicles are unable to render aid, and it’s a bad situation. I’m trying to get ahead of it."

Pizzo, whose senate district includes parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, began his campaign against street racing following a horrific crash in 2021 where a mother of four was decapitated during a deadly street race in Miami Gardens. 

The following year, he successfully pushed for legislation that broadened street racing penalties and allowed social media videos and other evidence of racing to become admissible as evidence against drivers.

Now he’s hoping to expand penalties even further. 

Under the new bill, drivers could be fined up to $2,000 and lose their license for a year for a first offense. 

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A second offense within a year becomes a felony punishable by up to $4,000 in fines, a 2-year license suspension, and up to five years in jail. 

Anyone with three violations within five years could face up to 15 years behind bars, $7,500 in fines, and a four-year license revocation.

Spectators of races and street takeovers could face a $500 citation. 

Organizers and those caught promoting events online or creating videos of illegal street racing and maneuvers could also face charges.

Between 2018 and 2023, Florida law enforcement officers issued more than 9,100 citations for street racing and stunt driving, according to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.