On September 6, 2022, the Fremont City Council adopted the Street Racing and Sideshow Ordinance to prohibit the promotion of and attendance at such events. This ordinance goes into effect today, October 20, 2022. Vehicle exhibitions and street racing have been a recurring concern for the health and safety of motorists, pedestrians, and residents in the city. These activities have caused fatal collisions, property damage, and traffic congestion, creating a public nuisance. In addition, illegal speed contests, exhibitions of speed, and sideshows pose a clear danger to the residents of the city and the motoring public traveling on the roadways within the city. Therefore, the ordinance will prohibit the promotion and attendance at these illegal racing events to significantly curb this criminal activity.
At speed contests and exhibitions of speed, street racers accelerate to high speeds without regard to oncoming traffic, pedestrians, or vehicles parked or moving nearby. In most situations, sideshows attract hundreds of spectators to gather on the streets late at night and in the early morning hours, blocking the streets and sidewalks to traffic to form a racetrack area or an area for stunts or reckless driving. The spectators provide protection to those drivers by blocking roadways, which prevents law enforcement from approaching or contacting the reckless drivers. In addition, the spectators provide significant motivation for the sideshows, as the crowd size and participation encourage the actual drivers to engage in the activity.
The ordinance amends Chapter 9.35 (Street Racing) to add provisions to prohibit promotors from encouraging gathering at and spectators from attending illegal street racing and sideshow events. Fremont Police believes the ordinance will serve to discourage promotion and participation in sideshows and street races.
The adopted ordinance can be viewed at: https://www.fremont.gov/home/showdocument?id=11373&t=637981619686240274
The Fremont Municipal Code Chapter 9.35 (Street Racing) will be updated to reflect these changes.
For questions regarding the adoption of this ordinance, please contact Captain John Harnett at [email protected] or (510) 790-6705.
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