Globe and Mail Article - Speeding in Alberta

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2007/08/14/luxury-cars.html


RCMP investigate video showing cars hitting speeds of 300 km/h
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 | 2:55 AM MT
CBC News
Alberta RCMP have arrested four people for allegedly driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis at speeds in excess of 200 km/h, one of whom is featured in a video circulating on the internet showing luxury cars hurtling down the province's highways.


The RCMP are investigating reports that drivers of some luxury sports cars, such as the cars seen here, have been using highways in southern Alberta as a speedway.
(Canadian Press)
Four exotic sports car drivers were tracked down south of Calgary on Sunday after local residents complained to police about speeding on Highway 23, near High River.

No charges were laid, but RCMP say the investigation is continuing.

One of the people arrested was Zahir Rana, who owns ZR Auto, which specializes in selling Ferrari and Lamborghini cars.

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The company produced a video circulating online that features high-end cars hurtling down a rural highway, with a shot of the speedometers showing top speeds in excess of 300 km/h.

In the video, Rana is clocked driving his Lamborghini at 339 km/h.

"I was nervous before the run. And when I was doing the run, at that time, I just wanted to go faster and faster. And I know I could have done 350, but I ran out of road," he says in the video.

"I just wanted to push and not give a damn about what happened."

Rana told CBC News on Tuesday that the video was faked.

"It's viral marketing. It's nothing. It's not factual at all," he said. "You can make … spaceships land on the moon and put it on TV and [make it] look real."

Alberta RCMP aren't so sure. Sgt. Patrick Webb said he thinks the video could be authentic and an investigation is underway.

"That gets past the point of simply being a little bit heavy on the foot and exceeding a highway speed by 10 or 20 kilometres an hour. This is into the area of dangerous driving and endangers everybody."

Keith Morison, a spokesman for the Calgary Sports Car Club, said it's irresponsible to drive that fast on an open highway, where trucks could appear from a side road or an animal can dash onto the road.

In the Calgary area alone there are more than 40 organized racing events each year, so there is no need to use the highway, he said.

Webb said street racing has long had a presence in Alberta, but what makes this situation unique is the exotic nature of the cars, which he said is tied to Albertans' increasing wealth.

 

Best line. It's an Enzo. A Ferrari Enzo.

Anyhoo... I'm not a legal expert, but this case looks a bit tough to defend. My best idea would be to make a deal with the court: a charity run. Do the same sort of thing on a real closed off highway, get the police involved, and pay all speeding fines incurred throughout the day to charity. And promise to never do it again, or something to that effect.

My biggest probem with this is that ZR mislead enthusiasts like myself into believing what they were doing was OK and was a locked off motorway supervised by proper law enforcement. It's a shame really when people can't excersise a little judgement and a little reservation. I can understand speeding in these cars, but 300km/h? That's insane.

 

Some dude was busted yesterday in Toronto doing 250 km/h on the highway...but on a motorcycle! Thats insane....

Good story here:


http://yorkregion.com/News/Vaughan/article/42556

 

Agreed. Notice the blurred out highway signs and the traffic going opposite direction on this "closed highway" at about 5:40 into it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrsaeUJgymo

 

Too late, the Police and Government have NOTHING better to do than to bust balls about speeding and so called "street racing" (oh don't forget about having a front licence plate, God forbid you don't or your a danger to society) it kills me how they want to spend 2 Million dollars on a stupid helicopter to catch these "racers" when our Healthcare system could use that money to help people who are "actually dying" not people who "may speed" and "may kill" someone in the process, look at how they made a big display on the great job they are doing by taking all the Modified cars off the roads, seizing them and crushing them in public, I can't believe all the sheep out there who fall for their crap (it's actually pathetic) all the Government and Police want to do is take your eye off the ball so they can implement these stupid laws and be more intrusive than they already are and have public support. When I see a video like this I'm like right on; good for you, and I soooo hope they get away with it so they can stick it back to them for wasting time and our tax dollars on BS.

 

So, are you saying that it's OK that kids street race?

 

I referenced that F40 in the initial thread that was dedicated to the video...

 

Im not saying it's ok, but it's going to happen regardless of these laws, I think it's the Parents responsibility to educate their kids on the dangers of being reckless behind the wheel, and if they injured someone while being reckless they should have to pay retribution ($$$) to the family or the person injured or killed, and remember people are killed everyday needlessly and we don't give a second thought unless it's in our own backyard. So do you think that it is better to give the Police 2 Million for a Chopper or to give the Money to the Hospitals to treat people who are sick and dying right here and right now?

 

I think that the government is currently spreading funds across every department a little thin. I actually received decent care the last few times I went to hospitals. I think that if it can be proven that the chopper is saving lives, then the $2 million is well-spent.

 

Some good points here.......


Yes, cops have better things to do like chase real criminals, not automobile and race enthusiasts, but every month you hear about an innocent person dying because of them, so the cops have the responsibility of protecting the public.

I am neutral in this matter; street racing is like the "don't ask, don't tell" policy from the US goverrnment.

 

I am thrilled to hear that you recieved decent care when you went to the hospital because thats what we all deserve and pay our taxes for, I truly do not think that this chopper will save lives, thats my point, I know I came off a bit synical (sp?) but thats just my nature : ) but think about it bro, do you think that the chopper will be flying around in the sky like Superman waiting to swoop down and save a life, I don't.

 

I laughed out loud at the bolded text. Nice one!

I didn't mean that, however. What I did mean was that if it can be proven that it did stop a potential street racing accident, or whatever, then it's being put to good use. And I don't think it'll be used exclusively to prevent street racing. It'll probably be used in other crimes, such as finding lost persons (kidnappings, or whatever), stopping erratic drivers, tracking down a murder suspect, or whatever. However, I do agree with you that stopping street racing is a bit like stopping drugs, or gravity: near impossible.

 

The movie Fast and the Furious is to blame!

Damn punks just can't stay home and play scrabble on Friday nights??

LOL






I wonder how the police/government dealt with street racing back in the 60's and '70's with all the muscle cars? There was probably more street racing going on back then.

 

I love Scrabble!!

Uhh, my suspicion (about the '60's and '70's) is that they didn't really deal with it, per say. They probably let it carry on, but it was frowned upon, sorta like smoking in today's society. But I dunno... I'm a '90's child.

 

Hey Mike,
When you or one of yours gets maimed by an idiot (no other word, these are not the acts of thinking people) performing these acts of negligence then perhaps you might have a different view of 'the government and its rules'. When they crash into something unexpected, and eventually they will, it won't be an accident but negligence. No doubt they have the financial resources to waste even more of my tax $ defending themselves from the desreved punishment. Your words in response to NHeerDesign are that you are not condoning the acts but in the original post you say that the police are wasting their time. Personally if a few of these idiots get tossed in jail and lose their cars with enough publicity, then it might just wake some people up.

There are plenty of track events and related ways to exercise our cars at speed without doing so on public roads. I didn't go on Arshad's spring run because the previous fall run was spoiled for myself and wife by some similar people. As a result we (several cars near the back of the group on return) were almost physically accosted by very irate residents. I was disturbed by that but wasn't upset at the residents. I was upset that a few people who seem intelligent enough to earn the $ to buy or lease one of these cars are not intelligent enough to know when and wehre to drive fast. I have zero confidence that these people have a clue how to recover from a surprise car or deer or racoon coming across their path at 200kmh+.

It is spoiling my own enjoyment of a great car so thanks a lot idiots.

Gerrit

 

Gerrit:

Well said! I agree on all fronts with you. It is a fact that the police are wasting their time with street racers, in my opinion, because it's hard to stop. However, I still feel that it is a necessary part of life: to have police patrolling to try to stop it as best they can. Maybe with these recent arrests, some people will wake up to the fact that it isn't OK.

-N

 

I know Zahir very well he would NEVER miss lead anyone into anything.. The guy always stands behind safty first.. We all own our cars and love to enjoy them.. He gives us the place and the means to do it safely.. I have not noticed anyone talking about the Track days that are orginized by Zahir in which he brings in instructors to teach us the finer points about driving our cars in a safe controlled enviroment.. It seems to me that all this PR is a waste of time.. Let the police chase some child porn on the net not some " Alleged " video.. We are all guilty of driving fast lets not hang the guy for something we all have done MANY a time..

 

What do you mean "alleged" video? You can't actually believe the claim that the video was fabricated for publicity and never really occured?

I can see the 2010 edition of ZR's video: "If I did it"...

 

I was not there so I would not pass judgment on it.. There is no doubt that the car can do that speed and that Zahir has the right foot to push it there.. If he did "God speed" thats more guts then I have.. I would have stopped at 338 !!!

M

 

But only on a closed course, right?

*Edit - ZR's site removed all of the videos...

 

LOL !!!! The same one..

 

Ditto. I helped develop parts of this year's route & ran it a week before with some Pcars. Nice & calmly, I might add. But I passed on the FChat version because of the crap last year - I was in front of Gerrit & got the same irate response. Exotic car shouldn't equal idiot behind the wheel. But it often does. Especially in a pack.

Ian

 

sure the speeds are a bit excessive, but to be honest i think the teenager in a ricebox doing 80 in the playground zone 20 feet from my house seems a lot more dangerous than me doing 200 on the highway

 

Why? Because the kid might hurt you or yours while you with a blowout at 200 would only kill some stranger & his family?

Ian

 

I agree gerrit, i think i was a few cars behind you when it happened, me and wife got a soccor ball kicked at us , plus the odd newspaper thrown, and some very very irrate people walking. This is also the reason my wife and i have not attended the last 2 outtings...it has felt like a cannonball run, not a relaxing look at the woods. Its hard to complain when so many people dedicated so much time and effort in an event like that, it would be very sad if something went wrong.