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| Young men all over the world will find a place to dice, as shown in this recent photo from Los Angeles, where the illegal racing scene has inspired the movie ''Fast and Furios''. Photo: businessindsider.com |
Sidewayz club member Michael Chetty said the meeting is proactive to save the city another tragedy.
“You only have to listen on any given night to hear how many young men are burning rubber in dangerous dices all over town.
“Last year, we had several horrible crashes, the worst one of which saw four young men die on Alan Paton Avenue.
“Unless we club racers meet with the young men and we all brainstorm a solution, it is just a matter of time before another such tragedy will happen,” said Chetty.
Wheels editor Alwyn Viljoen said the problem of young men dicing is as old as the car itself and throwing traffic officers at the problem just makes the dicing that much more exciting.
“Case studies show that all efforts to outlaw informal car races or control illegal drags just makes it that much more appealing for the young rebels who race.
“We have all been there. The solution needs to involve structured challenges and a place to race,” Viljoen suggested.
Chetty said the main problem is to find a legal venue in Pietermaritzburg where the drag racers can speed without endangering anything other than their own cars.
“Our agenda is to take the racers off the streets and gather them on only one street or perhaps a big parking area. To this end, we want to hear suggestions from the racers and present the council with a short-list of venues, which we hope to make drag-friendly.”
• The illegal-to-legal meeting takes place on Sunday, at 10 pm, in the parking area in front of the Nedbank in Raisethorpe, Pietermaritzburg.
