Car cruising has been banned in Birmingham until the 27th of February 2027, but does this spell trouble ahead for the rest of us? Key points of the ban listed below.
An injunction is in place to stop anyone gathering to race or perform stunts in cars, motorbikes or quad bikes on the streets of Birmingham.
The new powers mean it's not only drivers who face prosecution- but also those organising and attending car cruising meets, which sometimes involve hundreds of spectators.
Councillors condemned the dangerous practice, and promised to come down tough on those breaking the law.
The High Court Order forbids any person from taking part in “street cruising” in Birmingham or from promoting or organising street cruising.
Offenders risk being arrested. If caught, participants can expect driving bans and fines of up to £5,000 and can have their vehicle seized and crushed.
Adults breaching the High Court Injunction can face up to 2 years imprisonment and youths can be fined and have their assets seized for contempt of court.
Birmingham joins other areas in England banning car cruises - Stevenage banned car meets for two years in 2020 after a crash due to dangerous driving where 17 spectators were injured. This ban was then extended by another five years on the 2nd of February 2023.
Read more on Birmingham City Councils website here
With more car meets than ever currently being held, I think it's time we be extra careful what we are doing if we wish to still be able to hold gatherings in the future, talk of there being too many car meets is a hot topic within the Scottish Scene at the moment. So what can we do about it?
The plain and simple way round this is don't be a dick! - We know of two illegal drag racing events shutdown by police in the past few months, it is sheer stupidity hosting or attending Illegal drag racing events when the authorities eyes are on us more than ever, Some people seem to think we're just complaining for the sake of it, but this isn't the case, the truth is we've been organising car meets for a long time now, and we would like to continue having the freedom to do so, and we'd also like to make sure everyone is safe in the process.
Want to go racing? Get yourself and yer mates onto a trackday at either Crail Raceway, Knockhill Racing Circuit or if drifting takes your fancy Driftland have you covered on that front as well.
This ban will not be an isolated incident, councils will be looking for any reason to get these injunctions implemented, don't give them a reason to!