Burnouts – Which Law(s) Do They Break?

Q: I’ve seen plenty of long, black tire marks out on county roads that look intentional. Once COVID struck and the freeways were empty I even saw a 360 degree burnout on the freeway. That can’t be legal, but what law is it breaking?

A: Let me tell you about Cars and Coffee. The title is so on the nose it hardly needs explanation, but I will anyway. These are events in which automotive enthusiasts drive their show-worthy cars to a parking lot where they drink coffee, socialize and admire each others’ cars. In the few that I’ve attended (as a visitor, not a show car owner) they’ve been fun, casual events with some interesting cars.

However, and you knew there was a however, despite the “no burnouts” rule at every Cars and Coffee event, when it’s over and time to leave, there is sometimes a guy (it’s pretty much always a guy) that does it anyway. And as often happens when a car has more power than the driver has skill, some burnouts turn into crashes.  When that happens, you’ll have a swarm of young men all with phone in hand, sprinting toward the car to capture the failure in close-up so they can put it on the internet. It’s like live-streaming karma.

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When Speed Becomes Reckless

Q: I’ve heard that if you drive at twice the speed limit instead of getting a speeding ticket you’ll get arrested. Is that true?

A: While driving at double the speed limit is bound to get you in some trouble, I’m not aware of any equation, at least in Washington, that automatically moves a speeder from infraction territory to a crime. That’s not to say that you can’t get arrested for speeding; just that there isn’t a pre-set threshold. It’s actually more complicated than that.

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