Street Racing Essay Example Essay Example

Street Racing Essay Example Paper Street Racing Essay Introduction Street racing is a type of automotive racing that takes place on public roads. According to Wikipedia (2006) â€Å"the street racers conduct their activities either during normal traffic or during empty hours of traffic. This is often happening within the industrial areas of cities. This form of racing is illegal such that driving is prohibited by many traffic regulations.†The law prohibits these races (McClurgs, 2001), chase and pursue the violators. â€Å"But because of the frequency of the illegal street racing, most of the time, the racers either are not caught or they get away (Wikipedia, 2006).† â€Å"Speeds in an illegal street race can reach over 200 miles per hour. Car crashes can and do occur (Lopez, 2001).†The most common form of street racing in the US is a drag race of modified stock cars. According to Wikipedia (2006), â€Å"this is usually held late at night on straight public roads with very low traffic that are often illegally closed by the race organizers.†Wikipedia (2006) further explained that â€Å"professional drag racers who race on sanctioned drag strips often object to the use of the term drag race to describe an event of this type. The motivations behind illegal street races are many.† â€Å"For instance, lack of a nearby drag strip, the temptation of illegality street racing which could be interrupted by a police squad any time, or just the similarity to a day to day situations at a traffic light are some of the motivations (McClurgs, 2001).†Street racing is also a growing business. These street racers are consumers of a billion dollar aftermarket tuning industry. They are also the big market in the automotive industry. Street races can also occur on expressways and highways, like in Japan. The most notorious group to be associated with it was the MidNight Club who gave street racing a worldwide attention with its 198 mph (300 km/h) antics. The group was known for its high standards and organi zation. But in 1999, they were disbanded following a fatal accident involving a competing group of motorcyclists. Presently, with heavier punishments, patrolling police cars and speed cameras, expressway racing in Japan is not as common as it was during the 80’s and 90’s. However, street racing still occurs in Japan on a regular basis (McClurgs, 2001).The blackracers, is a legal street races that occurs in some places This is not the same as road racing. It is strictly an amateur sport with road legal vehicles. Usually the races are done on a closed road and run on time and not against another vehicle (Wikipedia, 2006). The most famous blackracer is the annual Silver State Classic. In Japan, racers slide around the corners of remote winding mountain passes (Wikipedia, 2006). This sports is called Touge. Touge is the origin of drifting (Lopez, 2001).Street races occur all over the United States. It is almost inevitable that street races will occur anywhere there are pub lic roads. Unsanctioned racing with unknown participants on an unknown course for an unknown duration is the most common type of road racing sport. A contest may last seconds or many hours. The informal events have the common characteristic that the car in front at the finish wins, the leading car chooses the course, and the finish is when the stalking car quits.Some states have more active racing scenes than others. For instance, there is a strong racing culture in Southern California, which centers quite heavily around imports, as well as such American muscle cars as the Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, and Chevrolet Camaro. There are also very active street racing cultures in New York, Florida, New Jersey, Nevada and Texas. In some cases, the popularity has led to tough anti-street racing laws which give more strict punishments than normal traffic citations and also often dedicated anti-racing task forces.In the year 2005, a law in Tennessee that was passed prohibited cars to have Ni trous Oxide hooked up or even present inside a car, among other performance enhancers. Penalties include impoundment, taking of driver’s license for a period of time or permanently, This came about after a fatal crash in Johnson City, Tennessee (Yates, 2004).The programs like RaceLegal.com, DragNet and others are borne because there is a problem. These programs are also created by people that care about not only the innocent victims who street racers run into, and kill, maim, or burn to death. Most of these programs are run by, and created by the law enforcement.Law enforcers are not out to harass street racers. It may be probable that a number of law enforcement officers would rather let the street racers do their own thing if these street racers would simply do it safely, and not endanger the general public.A number of these street racers have little or no regard for life. Some even have no driving experience. These racers see all the hype of street racing on television but some of them do not have a clue that, they, do not even come close, to having the experience and expertise it takes to become a ‘true’ racer. The ‘true’ racer uses a legal track not the streets. I am in favor of a mandatory five years sentence for the street racers violators along with the same amount of time with a suspended license. The second offence should be a total life time ban of their driving privileges. Driving is a privilege, not a right, so as citizens we have the right to expect a safe commute to and from our destinations without having these street racers interrupting it or killing people (Smith, 1996).The law breakers are not being slap on the wrists and put them in community service but they are given a five year sentence for speeding in town. I do not think that that is harsh. It is true that there are more deaths by Drunk Driving than Street Racing. But at the rate this going it won’t be long before Street Racing catches up. Some p eople think that only the people Street Racing get hurt or killed. It is not true. There have been many innocent lives lost to Street Racing.Street racing has been around since the first car rolled off the assembly line. Nowadays, the cars are faster and the drivers are younger. Places like Qualcomm and Carlsbad are helping to decrease street racing, but since they are not open at later hours, they can’t do it all. Street racing will never cease. It is American as apple pie. By opening more places to race and/or keeping current tracks open later, the street racing will decrease more. Instead of persecuting everyone that has a fast looking car, people should try to come up with ways to help (Ryan, 1998).Street racing done on city streets is illegal. You can be hurt or killed or even hurt or kill someone else. These are not merely speculations that some might say could happen. They have happened and continue to happen everyday due to those people who think that it is cool or fu n to race cars on the streets. Nationwide statistics have shown that almost fifty people in every one thousand who are participating in street racing, are killed. That is a lot of young people that would be alive today if not for illegal street racing (Smith, 1996).If you are caught street racing, there are stiff penalties. Your can be arrested and spend as much as three months in jail, and your car be impounded for up to thirty days. You will also be charged with a fine of up to $1,000 while your driver’s license is revoked and your insurance can be cancelled. Onlookers are also fined and their cars impounded as well.Street racing is a big problem. Places to legally race should be a priority. Even if there are only a few places, at least there are choices on the places that the street racing should take place. The driving time is truly worth your life, and the life of anyone who might be hit while racing on a public street.For as long as these young people are merely trying to have fun it will be a good hobby. It will be a good thing if one of these street racers could be the next Jimmie Johnson. It will be a good project if a racetrack will be built for all these young people to go race until their heart’s content. It would keep street racing off the road and the anti-fun crowd would maybe stop their whining. Likewise, it would give the potential future Nascar stars a place to race and have fun.But at this period, the bottom line is that street racing, while it might seem like fun, it is illegal. Stubbornly continuing these illegal street racing may completely change your life in the short time that it takes to start up that car and take off. There are many proofs of these. Just turn on the television, listen to the radio, read newspapers, magazines, books, etc., there are enormous instances that will remind us how dangerous and destructive street racing is. You can even ask those who now speak out about the dangers of street racing from their hospital beds or their prison cells (Yates, 2004).However, it is interesting to note that street racers do have options. They can race legally on the race tracks that provide them with a certain amount of safety and peace of mind. Think about these professional racers that are seen on television. These are the people that most of those involved in illegal street racing are trying to mimic. Yet, they have never seen these folks racing on a city street. Their racing takes place on a track and so should the others.Racing’s prevailing attitude in this country toward safety begins with the waiver. Everyone signs a waiver before they get a racing license or go through the back gate at any track in the United States of America. It is possible that no one ever reads it. However, they all know what the waiver says – that racing is dangerous. One can meet death doing street racing. When someone gets hurt, racers shuffle their feet, shrug their shoulders, and mentally review the waiver they have never read.Therefore, it is really a must that when you enter any activity, precaution should be taken into consideration. Study the waiver. Study the advantages and the disadvantages of any endeavor that you will enter into. Also, put in place all the necessary safety gadgets and documents.But better than all these, when an activity is considered illegal, better refrain from indulging in it. This is very important to preserve the life of the others who might be accidentally hurt because of street racing, but also, in preserving the racers’ own life. Street Racing Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Copperhead Snake Facts (Agkistrodon contortrix)

Copperhead Snake Facts (Agkistrodon contortrix) The copperhead snake (Agkistrodon contortrix) gets its common name from its coppery reddish-brown head. Copperheads are pit vipers, related to rattlesnakes and moccasins. Snakes in this group are venomous and have a deep pit on either side of the head that detects infrared radiation or heat. Fast Facts: Copperhead Scientific Name: Agkistrodon contortrixCommon Names: Copperhead, highland moccasin, pilot snake, white oak snake, chunk headBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 20-37 inchesWeight: 4-12 ouncesLifespan: 18 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Eastern North AmericaPopulation: Over 100,000Conservation Status: Least Concern Description Copperheads may be distinguished from other pit vipers by their color, pattern, and body shape. A copperhead is tan to pink with 10 to 18 darker hourglass- or dumbbell-shaped crossbands on its back. Its head is solid copper-brown. The snake has a broad head, distinct neck, stout body, and thinner tail. A copperhead has tan to reddish brown eyes and vertical pupils. The average adult snake is between 2 and 3 feet in length and weighs from 4 to 12 ounces. Females have longer bodies than males, but males have longer tails. Habitat and Distribution Copperheads live in the United States, from southern New England to northern Florida and across to western Texas. They extend into Chihuahua and Coahuila in Mexico. The snake occupies a variety of habitats, including forests, swamps, rocky woodlands, and along rivers and streams. Copperhead snake range. Craig Pemberton Diet and Behavior Copperheads are ambush predators that camouflage themselves against the leaves and soil and wait for prey. They find their targets by heat and scent. About 90% of their diet consists of small rodents. They also eat frogs, birds, smaller snakes, and large insects. Copperheads climb trees to forage on caterpillars and emerging cicadas, but are otherwise terrestrial. Except for mating and hibernating, the snakes are solitary. The snakes hibernate in the winter, often sharing a den with other copperheads, rat snakes, and rattlesnakes. They feed during the day in spring and autumn, but are nocturnal during hot summer months. Reproduction and Offspring Copperheads breed anywhere from spring to late summer (February to October). However, neither males nor females necessarily breed every year. Males wrestle in ritual combat for breeding rights. The winner may then have to battle the female. The female stores sperm and may defer fertilization for several months, usually until after hibernating. She gives birth to 1 to 20 live young, each measuring about 8 inches in length. The young resemble their parents, but they are lighter colored and have yellowish-green tipped tails, which they use to lure lizards and frogs for their first meals. Baby copperheads are born with fangs and venom that is as potent as that of adults. Females sometimes reproduce via parthenogenesis, an asexual mode of reproduction that does not require fertilization. Copperheads reach sexual maturity when they are about 2 feet long, which is around 4 years of age. They live 18 years in the wild, but they may live 25 years in captivity. Juvenile copperhead snakes have yellowish green tail tips. JWJarrett, Getty Images Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the copperhead conservation status as least concern. Over 100,000 adult snakes live in North America, with a stable, slowly declining population size. For the most part, copperheads are not subject to significant threats. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation diminish snake numbers about 10% every ten years. In particular, populations are geographically separated in Mexico. Copperheads and Humans Copperheads are responsible for biting more people than any other snake species. While the copperhead prefers to avoid humans, it freezes instead of slithering away. The snake is difficult to spot, so people unknowingly step too close or onto the animal. Like other New World vipers, copperheads vibrate their tail when approached. They also release a cucumber-smelling musk when touched. When threatened, the snake usually delivers a dry (nonvenomous) bite or low-dose warning bite. The snake uses its venom to incapacitate prey prior to ingestion. Since people are not prey, copperheads tend to conserve their venom. However, even the full amount of venom is rarely fatal. Small children, pets, and persons allergic to snake venom are most at risk. Copperhead venom is hemolytic, which means it breaks red blood cells. Bite symptoms include extreme pain, nausea, throbbing, and tingling. While its important to seek immediate medical attention if bitten, usually antivenin is not administered because it poses a greater risk than the copperhead bite. Copperhead venom contains a protein called contortrostatin that may help slow tumor growth and cancer cell migration. Sources Ernst, Carl H.; Barbour, Roger W. Snakes of Eastern North America. Fairfax, Virginia: George Mason University Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0913969243.Finn, Robert. Snake Venom Protein Paralyzes Cancer Cells. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 93 (4): 261–262, 2001. doi:10.1093/jnci/93.4.261Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A., Santos-Barrera, G. Agkistrodon contortrix. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T64297A12756101. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64297A12756101.enGloyd, H.K., Conant, R. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 1990. ISBN 0-916984-20-6.McDiarmid, R.W., Campbell, J.A., Tourà ©, T.  Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists League, 1999. ISBN 1-893777-01-4.