Half a dozen motorbikes racing past you at lightning speed and before you could recover from the buzzing sound, the bikers are long gone. This is the first-hand experience of drag racing many would have had on Chennai roads.
The city police have woken up to this menace and recently arrested three juveniles who indulged in illegal bike racing on Radha Krishanan Salai. While the police usually let off minors indulging in rash driving after a warning, this time the three juveniles were remanded for judicial custody, so that it is a deterrent for others involved in racing on city roads. While many residents felt the police were slow in reacting to the issue, they are glad that the police are taking steps at least now. “I have noticed youngsters speeding on the same RK Salai Road a couple of times. It has been happening for quite a long time. It was a horrible experience as the bikes overtook me from both sides and for a moment I thought they were going to hit my bike,” says S P Senthil Kumar, IT professional working in a firm at Mylapore. The police say they are now acting tough to curb bike racing in the light of a few accidents in the recent times. “The victims are those who drive at permitted limits. We got information that racing is common on roads like Kamarajar Salai, RK Salai and ECR. We have planned to step up vigil against them and arrest all those who are involved in this,” said Elango, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic Investigation Wing).
The three youngsters arrested recently confessed to the police that they had bet on money for the racing. However, they usually did it for thrill, they had told the police. “All the boys hail from upper middle class families and are studying in reputed institutions. Their parents bought them bikes with over 200cc engine which has high accelerating capacity. They usually set racing routes along busy roads in the city and say they are doing this for the thrill they get while speeding past other motorists,” said Inspector Ravi Kumaran, who investigated the case.