SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council passed legislation Tuesday, July 16 that increases penalties for street racing, which have prompted safety concerns.
“We heard loud and clear from our constituents that they’re frustrated with the prevalence of street racing,” said Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the Public Safety Committee and sponsored the legislation.
The ordinance creates a new traffic infraction to penalize the registered owner of a vehicle involved in street racing with a $500 fine. The fine increases to $800 and $1,500 for a second and third infraction, respectively.
Under the ordinance, anyone who attends an illegal racing event could face a $100 civil infraction if they don’t leave when police tell them to.
The City Attorney’s Office also has the authority to prosecute illegal street racing as a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor, adopting a state law passed in the last legislative session.
“Now our police officers will have some very important tools that will allow them to address the problem on the street, and my office will do everything possible to appropriately see the cases through so we can make a meaningful impact on those who take part in these dangerous activities,” City Attorney Ann Davison said in a statement.
The legislation came after several high-profile racing events that erupted into violence. On July 23, 2023, one person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting near a street racing event on Capitol Hill. In June, two street racing events led to a shooting that killed a man and injured others, and a car hit a pedestrian, according to the council.
Seattle police previously told KING 5 that they have seen an increase in large street racing events since 2020.
The legislation will go into effect immediately if it is signed by Mayor Bruce Harrell as it was emergency legislation.