New Florida law slams the brakes on street racing in Florida with harsher penalties
TAMPA, Fla. - State lawmakers are putting the brakes on street racing and intersection takeovers in Florida.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law earlier this week that imposes stiffer penalties on offenders. The new penalties include higher fines, as well as possible jail time, and offenders could lose their licenses depending on the charge.
A first-time offender faces a fine of up to $2,000 and could lose their license for one year. The fine was previously $1,000.
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They’ll face a third-degree felony and a fine of up to $4,000 if they break the law again within a year of that first conviction. They could also lose their license for two years.
It’s also a third-degree felony if someone in a street takeover knowingly interferes with the movement of an emergency vehicle. That carries up to five years in prison and up to $4,000 in fines.
The bill’s sponsor said this is a step to keep everyone safer.
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"Street takeovers are a real problem," State Senator Jason Pizzo from Miami-Dade, said. "People are dying. People are getting injured, and it’s a very coordinated and organized scheme, especially amongst the 16 and 29-year-olds in the state of Florida, and it has resulted in deaths in my district and cities, including the one I live in, have been taken over … all the intersections and emergency vehicles are unable to get in to render aid, and it’s a bad situation."
On Sunday, four people were arrested - three 20-year-olds and a 22-year-old - and a car was seized in connection to a street takeover incident in Tampa.
VIDEO: 4 arrested after street racing causes ‘chaotic scene’ in Tampa, HCSO says
A similar scene played out in March when dozens took over the intersection of Kennedy and MacDill in Tampa.
READ: Tampa street takeover lands 2 in handcuffs: ‘You can run, but you can’t hide’
If someone is charged in a coordinated street takeover, meaning 10 or more vehicles, it’s also a third-degree felony, and they’ll face a fine of up to $4,000. They’ll also get their license suspended for two years.
According to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, over the last five years, officers have issued more than 9,000 citations for street racing and stunt driving. Close to one-third of them were in Miami-Dade and the median age of offenders was 21.
Spectators will also face fines under the new law that goes into effect July 1.