California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a slate of bipartisan bills on Monday in an effort to curb street racing, sideshows, and street takeovers in the state that have resulted in fires, mob robberies, injuries, and deaths.
Sideshows and street takeovers generally involve a group of drivers gathering in vacant lots or blocking public roadways to perform stunts or race for onlookers.
The four new laws—Assembly Bill 1978, AB 2186, AB 2807, and AB 3085—provide law enforcement the authority to seize the vehicles of both participants and spectators, among other stricter penalties.
Along with increasing the list of offenses for which police can impound a vehicle, the new laws also expand the number of locations where speed contests are prohibited and standardize the language around these crimes….