AAA Study Finds Street Racing on Public Roads Is a Growing Concern 

If you’ve seen drivers darting aggressively across lanes as they race through traffic, you’re not alone. Nearly 75% of drivers reported noticing at least one type of street racing in the past year, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA FTS).

Street racing — which includes behaviors such as drag racing, street takeovers and weaving through traffic — poses significant risks to drivers, pedestrians and emergency responders alike. To understand more about the prevalence of and public concern about street racing, the AAA FTS surveyed over 3,000 U.S. drivers.

Key Findings

• Weaving through traffic is the most observed form of street racing. Over 30% of respondents said they notice drivers weaving through traffic regularly, or fairly often. That number jumped to 37% for respondents who lived in urban areas. In the Northeast, 65% of respondents said they’ve observed street racers weaving through traffic at least once in the past year.

• Street takeovers and drag racing happen less frequently, but a sizeable minority have encountered them. 9% of respondents reported having witnessed a street takeover regularly or fairly often, and 12% indicated the same regarding drag racing. In the Northeast, 28% of respondents said they’ve witnessed a street takeover at least once in the past year, and 35% said the same for drag racing.

• Street racing is a growing concern. Nearly half (47%) of respondents from the Northeast said they are concerned about street racing on public roads in their state. And over a third of respondents from the Northeast — about the same as all respondents — said street racing is a bigger problem today compared to recent years.

• Trends differ between urban and rural areas. Respondents in urban areas reported greater exposure to street racing and higher concern, while rural drivers reported slightly higher participation but lower concern.

Jillian Young

Based in Rhode Island, Jillian Young is AAA Northeast’s director of public relations. She regularly appears in local TV, radio and print media to discuss traffic safety, travel, insurance and more.