Atlanta City Council moves to Ban Organized Drift events in ATL

[aMaff]

Yesterday (Monday, May 7), the Atlanta City Council voted to amend the city sound ordinance to specifically ban organized drifting within 1,000 yards of any residential zoned property. This was brought to the council by an apartment/condo complex near Turner Field. The amendment will now be brought to the Mayor for approval or veto. Regardless of whether you view the drifters as fellow gear heads or as crazy hooligans, the city residents will view us both as members of the same family. It is not hard to see a ban on drifting one day becoming a ban on motorsports. We all have engines and screeching tires, after all. If you would like to lend your support, the drift organizers have set up a petition to ask Mayor Kasim Reed to veto ordinance amendment 12-0-0502 (14) here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/atl...members-veto-ordinance-amendment-12-0-0502-14


The ordinance itself is here: (section 6 covers drifting)

http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/2012/images/proposed/12O0502.


This is the largest drift weekend in Atlanta, with Formula D (professional drift tour) at Road Atlanta on Friday/Saturday, an event at Turner on Sunday and another event at AMS on Sunday. They will be gearing up interest at Formula D to 'Save Drifting in ATL' and bring national level people to the event at Turner and generally rallying their supporters to bring a large crowd to Turner on Sunday to show the economic impact the sport has in Atlanta. We should all be prepared for some extra traffic and visitors on Sunday. It should be a good opportunity to show our sport to some new people, though a large crowd may present some hassles as well.

I'm not exactly a fan of drifting, but I don't think this will affect only drifting. My biggest concern is this:

For purposes of this section, car drifting shall mean a driving technique or motorsport where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn.

If you think any local LEO / "concerned citizen" can't look at an autocross event and say that it meets that definition, I'd say you're fooling yourself. So, as much as it pains me to say it, please sign the petition to help save drifting in Atlanta.

 

[wmbeaver]

Woooo gubment!