Monday, April 18, 2005

 

Bad facts lead to bad laws #3,201


In a futile attempt to stop illegal street racing, the Arkansas state government has outlawed the use of nitrous oxide in motor vehicles. This is the effective equivalent of trying to stop keg parties by outlawing Solo cups:
"A new state law was named for a Pine Bluff man killed in a street racing accident last year.

Act 1568 of 2005 prohibits the use of nitrous oxide in motor vehicles. The law was signed by Gov. Mike Huckabee on April 6 and was named for Eric Turner, 27, who was killed when the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a car on Arkansas 88, south of Altheimer, on Sept. 6.

Investigators said a car driven by Maurice Kemp, 26, of Pine Bluff, was street racing on the wrong side of the road when it hit Turner's motorcycle head on. Police say the car was equipped with a nitrous oxide kit."
Read the whole thing here.

Let me get this straight: The kid was driving on the wrong side of the road, but the cause was his nitrous bottle? Huh? It seems to me they should've enforced the law making it illegal to drive on the wrong side of the road. I mean, gosh, shouldn't common sense prevail here?

I've got news for the legislators in Arkansas. You just brought aftermarket turbochargers into vogue with your new law. Now, the same nitwits you're trying to slow down will be going even faster than before -- it'll just take them a little longer to save for the equipment. And don't bother outlawing turbos, either. They're standard equipment on many sportscars and even some bikes. Besides, that'll just lead these kids toward the purchase of hotter cams, motor swaps, superchargers, and a myriad of other performance options. Hotrodders have been around since the '50s and they're not going anywhere. You'll never stop car/bike enthusiasts from going fast -- ever. I suggest you get over it and stop authoring unenforceable laws.

Hat-tip to Hoodoo on rec.motorcycles.

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