OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — We've all seen and heard it. Cars flying by, drivers revving their engines, and racing on Omaha streets. Now, the city council is considering a new ordinance to address street racing across our neighborhoods.
- Penalties could include fines, potential jail time, and the vehicle being towed.
- Omaha Police says being able to tow a vehicle, in these situations, would go a long way in fixing the ongoing issue.
- There will be a public hearing at the April 22 City Council meeting with a final vote on April 29.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"I hate the noise. I mean, you can hear it; you'll probably be able to hear it on Dodge," said Julien Wolfgar who has lived in Midtown for over 20 years.
Wolfgar says racing has always been an issue but believes social media is contributing to it more now.
"When I was a kid, you know, they didn't have TikTok and all that sort of thing, so I think a lot of people do this and they film it for clicks, so I think it has made it more dangerous," Wolfgar said.
"A lot of it is driven by social media; a lot of it is driven by groups of youth that gather and want to show off for each other," said Captain Mark Desler, with the Omaha Police Department.
Desler says it's dangerous, and needs to be stopped.
"In 2024, we had 59 traffic fatalities and over 170 serious injury accidents. Several of those could be attributed directly to speed," Desler said.
A proposed city ordinance would increase penalties for street racers and even spectators of a drag race, sideshow, burnout, or other illegal motor vehicle speed competition.
"It gives police and the sheriff's office an additional enforcement mechanism through fines and potential jail time on first, second, and third offenses," said Pete Festersen, president of Omaha City Council.
It could even allow police to tow the vehicle.
"With this ordinance, we can tow a car, we can book, or we can cite. But most importantly, it allows us to tow the vehicles and stop the activity right there," Desler said. "If we can arrest the people that are watching, if we can arrest the people that are actually doing the bad activity, it's going to go a long ways to help us."
Wolfgar hopes if passed, the new ordinance will make people think twice about participating.
"I think every time you get in a car, it's a gamble and it's scary, and I am glad they are going to do something about it," Wolfgar said.
There will be a public hearing at the city council on April 22 with the final vote on April 29.
