Council committee holds drag racing ordinance for further review

At its August 11th meeting, Council's Social Services and Public Safety Committee considered a proposed drag racing ordinance that would crack down on street races and reckless driving displays with vehicle impoundments and fines of up to $4,500 in some cases.

The ordinance, recommended by Lexington's STREEET Safety Task Force, comes after complaints from residents and takes inspiration from a similar ordinance Louisville passed in 2022.

After a lengthy discussion during the meeting, 9th District Councilmember Whitney Elliott Baxter opted to keep the ordinance in committee while it undergoes further revisions and review. A few councilmembers raised questions and concerns about how the ordinance would be enforced, including whether it's too harsh in its current form.

The draft ordinance will come back to the committee for further review during its October meeting.

What penalties does the ordinance impose?

The draft ordinance cracks down on what it calls "vehicle speed contests," defined as using a vehicle in a race against another, against a clock or another timing device. It also prohibits "reckless driving exhibitions," covering maneuvers such as:

• Burnouts
• Doughnuts
• Drifting
• Wheelies
• Other dangerous vehicle activity

For the owners of vehicles used in these events, or blocking streets for them, the penalties are:

• $2,250 for a first offense
• $4,500 for repeat offenses
• Possible 30-day vehicle impoundment for a first offense
• 60-day vehicle impoundment for later offenses

The civil penalties cover the cost of storing the vehicle while it's impounded. Vehicle owners would also have to pay towing fees, along with storage fees for additional days.

Separately, event coordinators or promoters would face a fine of $1,000 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for each follow-up offense.

Another provision of the ordinance allows vehicles to "escheat" to the Urban County Government if they remain unclaimed after their impoundment period ends – meaning the government could take ownership of the vehicle and either sell or repurpose it.

Councilmembers raise questions, concerns about enforcement

A few councilmembers had questions about how the ordinance would be enforced, including 8th District Councilmember Amy Beasley, who asked if the city's Flock license plate readers would be used for that purpose.

"Are we about to use our Flock cameras to start impounding people's cars?" Beasley asked.

Responding to a similar question posed by 1st District Councilmember Tyler Morton, Lexington Police Commander Donnell Gordon said the license plate readers could be used to assist in investigations.

Live traffic camera feeds and police efforts to monitor social media posts promoting the events could also play a role in enforcement, Gordon said.

Morton also asked whether there was any consideration to making vehicle impoundment the penalty for a second or third offense, rather than the first. Evan Thompson, an attorney for the city, said the ordinance mirrors Louisville's in that respect.

While stating that he understood the need for enforcement and accountability, Councilmember Morton said "I do think the 30-day vehicle impoundment is a stretch, particularly on the first offense."

Morton favored escalating fines instead and other enforcement approaches.

"Taking someone's vehicle for 30 days can also have consequences beyond the violation itself," Morton said. "It can impact their ability to get to work, provide for their family, and meet their everyday responsibilities. In an economy where many families are already struggling, I think we should consider whether the punishment creates additional hardships that go beyond what we're trying to address."

Baxter said she was open to addressing councilmembers' concerns while the ordinance remains under review, but she also stressed the importance of keeping Lexington residents safe.

"While this does seem really intense, we did that on purpose. The safety of our community is very important to me," Baxter said.

The ordinance will come back to the committee for review at its next meeting on October 20th.