There is an old adage in the law: bad facts make bad law. Unfortunately, street racing has gained in popularity in and around Nashville, Tennessee. In 2023, this resulted in five deaths in Davidson County alone according to a recent article by WKRN. Without a doubt, those are bad facts and our hearts go out to those affected. 

As a result of those bad facts, Metro Nashville Police Department asked state lawmakers to do something about it. The result, well, remember the old saying.

As of July 1, 2024, drag racing is now a Class E Felony in Tennessee. This means that first time offenders are now facing a prison sentence for drag racing. Speeds are irrelevant; distance is irrelevant; number of participants is irrelevant. 

This is a drastic change from just a few years ago. Prior to 2021, drag racing was a Class B misdemeanor. From July 2021 until the end of June 2024, drag racing was a Class A misdemeanor. Now it is a felony. Once something becomes a felony, it is highly unlikely that it will ever return to a misdemeanor, even if the problem resolves itself. 

Our office is in Clarksville, Tennessee. Our county, Montgomery County, contains part of Ft. Campbell Army Base. It is not uncommon for young soldiers to get back from deployment, get a fast car, and occasionally test it out on the streets. The same is true with local college students at Austin Peay State University. This is not a wise decision, but now it is a felonious decision.  Many of these people are coming to Tennessee from other states and are not aware of the harsh penalties for drag racing. It is more important than ever to get the word out. Not only can drag racing be extremely dangerous, even a short burst off the light can not result in a felony conviction, jail, and even a prison sentence for first time offenders.