Thursday, August 28, 2008

There is an action, but is it effective??? Hmm.. Let's think about it!

MALAYSIAN MINI BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP


Wan Fadli Hazilan Wan Rosmidi (A122863)

Alooohaa..... Meeting me again...

One-Fudley is back...

Hello guys... long time no see... Seems like there are a lot of things need to be discuss as we keep on thinking about our interesting topic which is “Illegal Street racing”. As we can see, there are plenty of comments that have been made by our colleague regarding this issue. The thing that catches my eye and makes me wanna go further into our discussion is the issue of the measures taken by authority to “combat” this problem as being said by Khairi in his post. When looking into this issue, there are one question pops up in my mind. Guess what??? Hmm... Are they effective or not???

Now, let’s get into my point of view. Legalising street racing is not the solution. The government recently proposed turning street racing into a tourist attraction. They believe that the Mat Rempit (street racers) who partakes in such activities is natural performers, and that the stunts they perform can be a tourist magnet. Besides that, they even suggested that certain roads be closed off at specified times to allow these street racers to indulge in their passion. They reason that if roads can be closed in order to hold a Pasar Malam, it would be alright to close them for street racing as well.

They also think that it wouldn't do any good to hold such activities in remote Sepang or Batu Tiga, because the distance would discourage spectators from gathering. If we think deeply their suggestions are certainly worth considering. However, there is a difference between closing roads to hold a Pasar Malam and closing roads for street racing. They are completely different activities and must therefore be managed in different ways.

Other than that, there are also people who approaches street racing with the idea that it is a recreational activity for youngsters. The idea that street racing is fine so long as it is held at an appropriate time and place certainly seems to offer an opportunity for a better solution than the hard-line tactics currently employed by the police. However, there are some points that need to be considered. If the matter is not handled properly, it could send the wrong message and cause street racers to think that everything they do is sanctioned.

The noise caused by illegal street racing affects the peace of the neighbourhood and disturbs the lives of residents. This is the reason why citizens dislike street racing. Before deciding which roads to close to accommodate these street racers, the authorities ought to take into consideration the effect it might have on nearby residential areas, the activities of business establishments, and traffic conditions in the area. This means that they should make sure that the location they finally pick is a secluded one, and it's the reason why they wanted to open the race course to street races. Firstly, its' far away from any residential areas; secondly, it's safe.

From my opinion the responsible parties should consider working together with these disciplined racers to organise and manage weekend street races under safe conditions. This will reduce the number of accidents and help ensure that innocents are not affected. However, other racers might not be able to hold to the higher standards and disciplines required for road racing. They might only be in it for the adrenaline rush, and lack the discipline or the expertise to make it in amateur racing. They should work together with the parties involve to set up short, mid and long term plans for promoting and regulating recreational racing activities.

Organisers of such events must adhere to safety standards. It would be best if an insurance company were willing to offer coverage for the event. Accident prevention and response measures, as well as responsibility for any that happen, must be determined. In addition, steps must be taken stop and prevent illegal betting from subverting such activities.

To add more, government should work together with organisations experienced with racing events to come up with professional regulations for street racing. They must come up with a racing activity that is safe, has a shallow learning curve, and to the taste of the young street racers. Simply closing a few roads won't solve anything. They should work together with the Sepang race course and the Formula One organisers.

Hmm... Confusing, confusing, confusing... Such a complicated things right??? We do understand the need for speed, but untill when this deasease will disapear in our world??? Only God knows that...

Alright guys, such a long discussion, I think that's all for now... See you when I see you in the next session... Feel free to comment...

Adiosta!!!

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