Street racing is a very popular trend among college students. However, it’s also a very dangerous activity. The driver, traveling at high speeds, endangers both himself and the crowd to injuries and even death.

After watching movies like “The Fast and The Furious” and “Driven,” street racers often have the mentality that they are invincible. Many racers have witnessed deaths due to a lack of judgement concerning racing and safety.

Drinking before racing is also one of the reasons why many frown upon street racing. With alcohol in their bodies, the drivers’ nervous systems are slow to react.

Besides drinking, inexperience is another big reason why it is such a dangerous sport. Never having driven at high speeds, many of the drivers cannot handle the velocity, which can result in a collision with the other racer, the crowd or even street objects.

Some street racers are, however, well experienced and are racing because it’s part of their career, or a hobby they want to learn more about.

Still, despite the fact that many are into this activity for educational purposes or as a hobby, just as many are inexperienced. Whatever cars they may have, be it truck, van or even sedan, racing is a dangerous activity.

Along with high speed racing, many of these “suped-up” cars carry illegal parts. Modified air intakes and nitrous oxide, for example are the two most popular illegal parts stocked in racing cars.

So should racing be looked down upon as a crime, or taken into consideration as educational fun?

Even though some drivers are responsible and just interested in learning more about their cars, the majority of the drivers are inexperienced. To make matters worse, even I, after watching movies that involve high speed driving, have the mentality that I can drive like the actor I saw on the big screen.

With accidents, injuries, and even fatalities occurring, racing should be looked upon as a crime and stricly punished.

However, I do believe city officials should set up a place for legal street-racing, as even the California Highway Patrol fall on different sides of the “ticket-writing” spectrum.

However, most cops literally scare drivers enough to stop racing, and for good reasons, too.