Florida bill to increase fines for street racing moving through committee stops

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Florida bill that will increase fines for street racing, among other measures, is making its way through committee stops during the legislative session.

The bill increases a fine for street racing from a range of $500 to $1,000 to a range $1,500 to $2,500.

Reps. Kiyan Michael, R-Jacksonville, and Doug Bankson, R-Apopka, are carrying HB 449 in the House and it has already passed through two subcommittees and has one more stop.

Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Hollywood, is carrying a similar bill in the Senate, which has one more committee stop.

In the Justice Appropriations Subcommittee on Feb. 5., Michael said the bill addresses the “increasing and dangerous issues” related to street racing, drag racing, stunt driving and street takeovers.

The bill’s analysis defines the following terms:

• “Street-racing” involves cars, motorcycles, and other motor vehicles engaging in prearranged or spontaneous competitions on roadways.
• “Drag race” means two or more motor vehicles driven side-by-side at accelerating speeds in a competitive attempt to outdistance each other.
• “Street takeovers” occur when large numbers of cars and occupants gather at a predetermined site, typically a large intersection.
• “Stunt driving” means to perform or engage in any burnouts, doughnuts, drifting, wheelies, or other dangerous motor vehicle activity on a highway, roadway, or parking lot as part of a street takeover.

In Jacksonville, street takeover participants “acknowledged that their meet-ups have anywhere from 300
to thousands of people in attendance, and residents nearby indicate that these events are dangerous
and often continue until well past midnight,” according to the bill’s analysis.

The analysis said in 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office made 157 arrests, issued 1,290 citations, and seized 54 vehicles related to illegal street racing.

“This bill is needed because we have a public safety issue anywhere from Jacksonville to Orlando to Tampa to Miami,” Michael said.

The bill keeps standard violations as a first degree misdemeanor, but it increases the fine for a third or subsequent violation within five years.

The bill increases the amount to be fined for a second violation from a range of $1,000 to $3,000, to a range of $5,000 to $7,500.

Spectators will be fined $250, which is currently set at $65.

The bill will make it a third degree felony for any person who “knowingly impedes, obstructs, or interferes with an authorized emergency vehicle that is on call or responding to an emergency.”

In her closing speech, Michael said she hopes this bill will “deter both the participation in, as well as being a spectator of street racing, drag racing, stunt racing and street takeovers.”

She said these activities “endangers everyone and it blocks public safety vehicles during emergencies,” Michael said in closing.

The bill has an effective date of July 1.