Illegal street racing is a growing trend, and has been since the advent of the automobile, but in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of street races. There are several possible causes for this trend such as: a recent installment of several car and car racing movies that may have inspired young drivers to race, young drivers seek new ways to satisfy their hunger for adrenaline, and it’s just another way that teenagers can ‘prove’ themselves to one another, feel good about themselves, and achieve celebrity status.

What exactly is street racing? According to my sources it is any of the following: “… two guys showing up at a stop light and trying to out-race each other." (Armijo) or “an organized race,” (Thompson) where upwards of twenty or thirty people show up to race each other. Oftentimes, the racers will place bets on which car will win, or even on how long until the cops show. Normally, a race isn’t organized and typically goes like this: a driver will pull up to a red light, and rev his engine to another driver to signify that he wants to race. If the other driver accepts his offer, he too will rev his engine. Then, the light turns green and the drivers jam the accelerator pedal. Most of the time, a street race like this is a short one that ends when it is clear who the winner is. These types of races are very dangerous and can cause many accidents. Street racing can be considered a form of aggressive driving.