Study reveals alarming rise in street racing on public roads

Street racing has become a rising concern on public roads, and 22 News reporter Nick Antonakis has what you need to know about this dangerous practice. A new AAA study reveals street racing as a rising concern, finding nearly 75% of drivers reported noticing at least one of the dangerous acts in the past year. These racers are literally threatening the lives of everyday folk just trying to get to work, to get home, to get to where they need to go. Most commonly, there's weaving through traffic, which 65% of respondents say they've observed at least once this year. Less commonly, there's street takeovers and drag racing, where a portion of a public road is shut down by a group for drivers to either race or show off their cars doing donuts. Springfield Police's spokesperson Ryan Walsh says this type of behavior around the city mostly comes during the summertime, but it's kept under control. Our officers are aware. We have specialized details on overtime that go out and try to break those up before they become anything serious. We've had a good handle on our drag racing in the past few years, thanks to our officers being very proactive in these situations. Walsh added that Route 57 in Agawam and Route 5 in West Springfield were hot spots for this type of activity, but things like patrolling and bringing the roads down to one lane have helped prevent a lot of racing. Now, if you ever encounter a street racing situation while you're behind the wheel, drive defensively. Focus on what you can control, which is the space in front of you. Stay calm as best you can, but keep that safe following distance. That gives you a buffer, so that way you're keeping a little bit of distance. The other thing is be a good driver yourself. Model the kind of behavior you want to see on the roadway. Working for you. Nick Antonakis, 22 News.