Teenage Racing

Essay # 116859

Child, Youth Issues > Teen, Adult Issues

Teenage Racing

A look at a reckless activity of car racing that some teenagers enjoy.

763 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how teenagers can explore their new found freedom as young adults, stating that unfortunately they are often reckless and dangerous. It particularly focuses on teenage car racing and how many cities in America are providing drag strips to get the cars off the roads.

From the Paper:

"When children become adults, new rights are given to them that were once forbidden. Teenagers naturally want to explore these rights. Unfortunately, the outlets for their behavior are often reckless and dangerous leading them to test the limits of their vehicles and push the envelope. However, they do not realize how risky street racing is. In many cases, teenagers locate streets and parkways that are deserted, but the racing also takes place on main streets as well. Wide-open parkways provide a tempting stage for teenagers to exhibit their speed in their expensive cars that have usually been altered. Their adrenaline begins to pump and they become vulnerable to losing their judgment, ultimately putting others at risk. The activity, which was once popular in California, has now in the past five years or so, taken over other areas slowly moving to the eastern states. The glorification of street racing is typically blamed on movies like "The Fast and the Furious" (Miller). Local law enforcement is seeing a positive correlation between the increased amount of teenage racing and the prevalence of related movies and video games. Police officers across the country have determined education and awareness to be preventative measures that must be taken in order to greatly reduce teenage racing."

Sample of Sources Used:

Miller, Sara B. "The Spread of Teenage Drag Racing Raises Red Flags." The Christian Science Monitor 10 Aug 2005 1-3. 18 Oct 2007 <http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0810/p01s03-ussc.html>.
Ritchie, Erika I. and Spencer Kallick. "Street Racing on the Rise." The Orange Country Register, 1290612. 28 Sep 2006 18 Oct 2007 <http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/communities/rsm/article_1290612.php>.