Some New
Good News from Ben Stillman of the Ohio Riders
Big Al
The drag racing bill has pretty much already been taken care
of:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText128/128_HB_191_PH_N.html
We had a huge email rally, sending emails to every Ohio senator and representative every day. I
think they got the point. It was all organized on www.ColumbusRacing.com
and www.Ohio-Riders.com.
IPS Motorsports contacted several senators/representatives discussing the
negative consequences of that bill to small businesses in the area. That
petition you linked to was actually started by a Columbus Racing member. George
Staton, the guy who crossed the median and hit Monica Durban, was a long time
Columbus Racing member. Drag racing had nothing to do with that accident. It's
a horrible shame, and I wish Monica Durban all the best, but there's no reason
to use auto enthusiasts as the scapegoats.
Anyways, just thought I'd pass along
that info.
Ben Stillman
OH. House Bill #191 Monica Durban
Law-
A threat to all car enthusiasts
To any and every car enthusiast in Ohio:
Ohio Senate is trying to pass a ridicules bill that can cause anyone to lose
their car and license very easily. This possible law prevents you from having
Nitrous Oxide hooked up in your car. It also says that if an officer
"thinks" you are accelerating faster than "normal," this
law will take your car and it will get auctioned or crushed, and you lose your
license for 1 year. There are no parameters or guidelines for what is
considered "normal" acceleration, and is up to the officer to decide.
You can be alone on a street, and if an officer says you were accelerating
faster than what they think is "normal", you are screwed.
This law was created because some dumbass in a rice burner supposedly was
racing earlier in the night, and when he was done, was driving too fast drunk
on an on ramp, and hit a girl. I feel sorry for her, but the problem was that
he WAS NOT racing when he hit her.
He was DRUNK. So instead of the state stepping up the drunk driving laws, they
decide to go after people who they say are accelerating faster than
"normal". So in other words, if you accelerate faster than the little
old lady in the huge land yacht and is so damn short that she looks through the
steering wheel, you can lose your car completely, and your license for 1 year.
But you can be pulled over for drunk driving a half a dozen times and still be
able to drive. Makes a lot of sense doesn't it? This can also cause profiling.
Cops will watch ever person who has a classic, race, or muscle car like a hawk,
and if they are having a bad day and want to make $$ for the city, they can get
you. Do you really think they will go after the soccer mom in the mini van
putting on makeup, texting and yelling at her kids while driving? I think not.
If you have a louder than stock exhaust on your car, you could sound like you
are accelerating fast, when you are really not, and lose it all. If some punk
teen in his riced out Honda Civic punches it at a light next to you, an officer
can say you were racing when you weren't. If this law passes, there will be
more people running from the cops and causing accidents and killing innocent
people since they can lose it all. If they actually enforced the laws better,
there would be no need to waste $$ to rewrite a law that already works. This
law is not the answer and will cause a lot of problems. They are in it to make
$$. Plain and simple. Pretty soon you won't be able to customize you car at all
and will have to drive little shitbox economy hybrids. If you don't agree with
this, please sign the petition and contact your senator. There is also a link
to the summary of this law from the Ohio
website. Please sign.
Thank you
-Concerned car enthusiast
Summary of proposed bill from the official Ohio website:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/analysis.cfm?ID=128_HB_191&hf=analyses128/h0191-i-128.htm
Petition site, please sign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/automotive-enthusiasts-against-monica-durban-law
Please contact your senator and tell them what you think:
http://www.ohiosenate.gov/