Will new Florida law reduce street racing?

Residents in Southwest Orange — specifically in Horizon West — have long voiced concerns that the street racing in the area will lead to more terrible tragedies. 

A new Florida law, Senate Bill 1764, aims to assist in prevention. 

The changes to the law, which went into effect earlier this month, include making the second street racing offense a felony, increasing fines to deter street racing and spectator participation, and adding a special enhancement for blocking emergency vehicles.

For more than a year, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has been participating in street racing details, with a specific focus on stopping these activities. 

The Sheriff’s Office has made more than 175 arrests and issued nearly 1,500 citations associated with these details. 

“We are thrilled the street racing bill has been signed into law,” Sheriff’s Office representatives said in a prepared statement. “Street racing is a dangerous problem in Orange County and across the state, which is why one of Sheriff (John) Mina’s 2024 legislative priorities was to beef up Florida law to make a second offense a felony and add enhancements for blocking emergency vehicles.”

‘WE WANT TO GET THEM OFF THE ROAD AND BEHIND BARS’

Sheriff’s Office representatives said street racing is a dangerous problem not only in Orange County but also throughout the state.

With this new law, first-time offenders involved in street racing, street takeovers and stunt driving can face fines up to $2,000 and lose their driver’s license for one year.

The second offense within a year of the first arrest could result in a $4,000 fine and loss of a driver’s license for two years.

Drivers also could face a third-degree felony if someone in a street takeover interferes with the movement of an emergency vehicle, which can result in a $4,000 fine and five years in prison.

“We had many calls and complaints from residents who are tired of the street takeovers and the donuts in the middle of the intersections,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a press conference. “So, we championed this bill. … We hope it deters people out there who are looking to do these street takeovers and street racing, and we just hope they go somewhere else. It’s a Florida law. So, they should take that out of Florida, but we’re not going to put up with it (here).”

Mina believes many of the offenders know they are violating a law, but they may not know about the consequences. In addition to the violations and penalties, the department will continue to seize vehicles and notify insurance companies of the incidents.

“Speeding is probably the No. 1 cause of traffic fatalities, and when people are being reckless and dangerous like that, we want to get them off the road and behind bars so we can save some lives,” Mina said. 

Locally, at the Winter Garden Police Department, Scott Allen, support services commander and public information officer, said the WGPD responded to 15 calls for service involving street racing since July 1, 2023.

“When individuals drive in a manner that is considered racing, they are not only placing themselves in danger but every individual they pass is at risk,” he said. “The new laws provide additional and more punitive penalties that will assist law enforcement with reducing these violations. With these changes, we truly hope to see these types of calls for service decline in the Winter Garden area.”

‘IT’S LIKE LORD OF THE FLIES AROUND HERE AT NIGHT’

Residents in the area are banding together to help save lives endangered by street racing in their community.

In 2023, Windermere resident Kat Thomas organized a Facebook group called “Residents Against Street Racing — Windermere, Horizon West, Winter Garden,” which now has more than 400 members. 

Courtesy photo

Thomas said the street racing began in the area shortly after she moved into the Venetian Isle community several years ago. 

Back then, the racing was more sporadic and nowhere close to what she thought it would turn into being today. 

After repeated incidents of the loud cars racing down the streets with screeching tires, Thomas said she knew she couldn’t be the only one concerned. 

Thomas hopes the harsher and swifter consequences of the new law will serve as a deterrent for street racers.

“The majority of these stunt-driver wannabes are teenagers who are reckless and ignorant, but they are not career criminals,” she said. “I’m sure they don’t want a felony on their record or to lose their license. So, these new laws may actually make a difference, as long as they are enforced and as long as they are caught. I still think that cameras installed at known roundabouts where dangerous events are occurring will help ensure accountability. Since I installed two cameras pointed at the roundabout near my home, the instances have lessened significantly, but they have not ceased entirely.”

Another resident, who lives near Thomas, wishes to remain anonymous because of the retaliation she has received from reporting incidents of street racing.

“One day, we had a lady crash into parked cars, and the next day, a teenager was hit by a car,” she said. “They’re vandalizing places, covering cars with shaving cream in retaliation, and shooting play guns at people and cars. They’re racing and doing donuts. … It’s like ‘Lord of the Flies’ around here at night. It’s like these kids have been raised by wolves. They are aggressive, entitled, dangerous, unruly, vengeful and spiteful. Where are their parents?”

Local Horizon West resident and community advocate Linda Sibley, who leads the Facebook page “West Orange Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” believes the new law is good, but the key will be enforcement.

“If the police departments aren’t strictly enforcing this law immediately and ensuring offenders are being charged and fined each and every time, racers are going to realize the law isn’t being enforced, and they will continue,” she said. 

Sibley is working with other residents and members of the Florida House and Senate to draft a bill that will ban holding and using a cell phone while driving, as well as a bill to require pedestrians and cyclists to stop before entering a crosswalk located at an electronically unregulated intersection and ensure motorists are aware of their presence.

Horizon West resident Gerald Higgens, who formerly served many years in law enforcement, also believes enforcement is key.

“On paper, the law sounds good, but we need more deputies to enforce the violations, and we need to cut back on some non-enforcement programs Orange County does,” he said. “The (Sheriff’s Office) is short radar equipment and deputies. I watched on a Friday morning at the Independence Commons school drop off, and I could have written 87 motor vehicle violations in 45 minutes. There were cars blowing by stop signs, gridlocking intersections and blocking pedestrian crossings with parents walking children to school. If (the Sheriff’s Office) went around to all the elementary schools in Orange County randomly and enforced motor vehicles laws, they would be proactive instead of gearing towards children getting injured or, even worse, a fatality.”

Higgens believes the rapid growth in the area is making incidents more likely to take place. 

“Roadways are being extended to alleviate traffic congestion, driving apps are advising drivers to cut through residential communities, and the drivers are not adhering to the speed limits,” he said. “With modern technology, children are riding these electric scooters and zipping across pedestrian crossings. Drivers need to slow down, especially at night when our residents are out walking with their families or walking their pets. We have street racers cutting through our communities from 10 p.m. sometimes to 4 a.m. They are waking our residents and their families, some who have young children. By the time you call the OCSO non-emergency number, they are long gone. Some of these cut-through communities like Summerport and Independence need assistance in enforcement, especially Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Many of the vehicles have modified exhaust systems where drivers let off accelerators that sound like machine gun fire or have sound systems with strong bass, which are both noise ordinance violations.”