Sacramento area law enforcement will take a more active role in the prevention of illegal street racing, thanks to new training received as part of a new program known as “Drag-Net.”

The statewide program, funded by a $5 million federal grant that the state received in August, is targeted at stopping illegal street races, such as the one that killed a Woodland woman in June.Kimberly Wheeler, 40, was killed on Del Paso Road when a 19-year-old street racer crashed into her car. The racer was going between 80 and 90 mph on a road with a 45 mph speed limit, according to an article in The Sacramento Bee.

The Office of Traffic Safety is looking to prevent such incidents from happening again by pulling illegally modified cars off the road.

Illegal modifications include the removal of a car’s catalytic converter or the installation of a nitrous oxide system.

“Nitrous oxide is like steroids for vehicles,” said Mike Marando, spokesman for the project at OTS. “They become lethal weapons.”

In order to recognize illegally modified cars, the Bureau of Automotive Repair is giving law enforcement hands-on training on actual cars.

“We show them what a normal catalytic converter looks like versus one that has been removed,” said Alan Coppage, the Drag-Net coordinator at BAR.

Other things officers are trained to look for are illegal turbo chargers, as well as legal modifications such as a modified muffler, or aftermarket parts with executive order numbers that certify the part has been approved by the Air Resources Board. Most of the changes officers look for can affect how much emissions come from a vehicle.

“When identified, illegally modified vehicles are brought back into compliance, and the emissions reductions can be significant,” said Coppage.

Officers who inspect a vehicle on site will look to see if an after market part is legal. They will also look to see whether or not the catalytic converter on a car that requires one, has been removed. Any car caught with illegal modifications will be cited.

In order to clear the ticket, the cited driver must see a BAR referee. If the referee determines that the vehicle is compliant with emissions standards, the driver is free to pay off the ticket. If the referee determines that the vehicle is not compliant, the driver must fix the problem before bringing it back to the referee.

Citations are not only issued for participating in illegal street races, but also for being a spectator at an illegal street race.

Some students worry that people will be pulled over for simply having a modified muffler, a legal modification that changes the sound of the car.

“An officer has to have probable cause before pulling someone over,” said Coppage. If a vehicle is speeding or has an exhaust that is easily discernable as being louder than 95 decibels an officer has probable cause to pull that vehicle over. Even so, students are not convinced.

“Every circumstance would be different,” said Carina Bell, a senior in Spanish and ethnic studies. “It wouldn’t be fair to pull everyone over,” said Chu Moua, a student at American River College. “People would get annoyed.”

Still, some people are optimistic.

“It might not work,” said Mike Newton, a staff member at Sac State. “But they kind of need to send a message about street racing. I can see both sides of the coin.”

“I think the new restrictions may help curb street racing, to some degree,” said Sac State student Brian Berry, a senior in Asian studies.

Even when the program takes effect in October, there will still be people who want to race. To satisfy this demand, Sacramento Raceway on Excelsior Road offers legal drag races every Wednesday night. Admission is $6 while those participating in the races must pay an extra $9. More information about the races, including the rules, can be found at www.sacramentoraceway.com.

Jenna Hughes can be reached at [email protected]