Drag racing: stop this madness

THE time for talking about an end to the dangerous cult of illegal drag racing on our public roads is now over.

We have talked enough and it’s now left to the authorities to resort to tough action before more lives are lost and people badly maimed and injured in this mindless pursuit of speed and cheap thrills.

It’s no secret these illegal races have been taking place regularly on our city streets over weekends, especially on that notorious stretch in Springfield Park where thrill-seekers gather to watch their dare-devil companions compete against each other in souped-up, high-performance machines.

These are public roads which belong to you and me as citizens and ratepayers of this city.

And if you happen to be driving in that vicinity one night and inadvertently get caught in the middle of one of these noisy races, you and your family could well end up as mere accident statistics.

One person who is lucky to be alive today is Chatsworth father Kuban Pather, who apparently interrupted a drag race on that notorious stretch a fortnight ago and was beaten up by a mob of angry drag race fans.

He had to be hospitalised for his injuries, and is now demanding justice from the authorities.

It’s also a well known fact that some of these illegal races end tragically when young drag racers tempt fate by driving at speeds that kill. Their deaths are hushed up by family and friends, and no further action is taken. This madness has to stop. It is, therefore, pleasing to hear that a police docket has been opened against five men in connection with the attack on Pather.

It is also encouraging to hear that police are now taking a tough line against these drag racers by setting up road blocks in the Umgeni and Springfield areas.

In addition, more than 20 vehicles believed to have been modified for illegal racing have been decommissioned by the metro police, and their owners will have to reverse the expensive alterations before their cars are allowed back on the road.

While welcoming these tough measures, we also accept that motor racing does have a large following in our city and will strongly support any move to build a public track in the province where racing enthusiasts can compete at an organised level and under the control and supervision of a properly-constituted professional organisation.

The sooner that happens, the better.