Cops slam brakes on drag racers

Crackdown’s been effective

Authorities say they’ve seen hundreds of cases of drag racing in recent years across darkened stretches of roads in South Florida.

But they say they’ve risen to the challenge to quell some of the illegal racing:

Pembroke Pines police, who help patrol part of a popular drag strip on U.S. Highway 27, have issued nearly 200 speeding tickets in the past two years.

In July, the department set up a speed trailer to gauge the effectiveness of the crackdown. The highway, which has a posted limit of 55 mph, was having nearly all cars stay under 70 mph. Less than 1 percent of cars hit speeds over 80 mph, police said.

Between January and March in West Boynton, the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office responded to more than 150 cases of drag racing. Deputies issued 152 citations, 10 criminal citations and arrested five people on racing-related charges. Dep-

uties also gave out 70 written warnings.

Racing can be deadly. More than 1,000 streetracing deaths occurred from 2001 to 2008 in the U.S., 50 of them in Florida, according to federal statistics. Some of the deaths have happened locally. For example: Two men accused of competing in a car race in Deerfield Beach in 2015 caused a crash that killed a 14-year-old girl, authorities said. The two men were criminally charged earlier this year, including counts of vehicular homicide and racing on a highway.

A couple died on Dec. 22, 2008, after their BMW was struck by a speeding Volkswagen Rabbit on Spanish River Boulevard in Boca Raton. The 19-year-old Volkswagen driver had been racing with the 18-year-old driver of another car.

The roar of engines can be heard miles from where illegal street racing goes on, drawing complaints from neighbors.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office receives the most complaints on Tuesdays between 9:50 p.m. and 1 a.m., and callers also complain of racing on Saturdays between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., said sheriff’s spokewoman Teri Barbera.

Street racers were competing on State Road 7 between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, and on Lyons Road between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Lake Worth Road.

After the Sheriff’s Office cracked down earlier this year, the problem hasn’t resurfaced in West Boynton, Barbera said.

On Wednesday night, Pembroke Pines city commissioners focused on ways to rid the area of racing noise. They are considering: Equipping police with decibel meters so they can issue citations for noise violations.

Building a sound barrier wall.

Enforcing landscaping requirements for businesses in the area, because trees and shrubs can help diffuse the noise.

When speeders “floor the car with the loud mufflers, it echoes throughout the neighborhood,” said Felipe Ventura, a resident of the Chapel Trail community.

He said he and his wife often hear the cars as late as 4 a.m.

“I have impact windows and the noise gets in; this should not be acceptable near a residential community, period,” Ventura said.

A gas station on U.S. 27 in Pembroke Pines for years has been the site of a makeshift auto and cycle show, drawing throngs of vehicle enthusiasts. Up to 50 cars have reportedly jammed into the gas station’s parking lot.

But this past Wednesday night, two Pembroke Pines police SUVs remained parked by the site, deterring some from congregating.

Saul Garcia, 24, a car enthusiast from Hialeah, said he thinks the latenight gatherings along U.S. 27 will continue despite neighbors’ complaints.

“This has already been going on for years; they’re going to moan and complain but I don’t think it will ever stop,” he said.