The car meets started as a gathering of people where car aficionados met to discuss car topics. These meetings offered information on car maintenance, tuning, performance options, and other car-related topics. As time passed, these meetings attracted suspicious individuals dealing in shady business. Today most car meets are illegal. We will try to cover the topic of why are car meets illegal, to begin with.
Although it is not forbidden to meet and enjoy cars, some forms of group meetings are deemed illegal. The main reason for that is the dangerous crowds they sometimes attract. There were noted cases when on a car meet dealers sold drugs. Another reason is dangerous car stunts ending in injuries. On top of that, the law in some states prohibits car meets altogether.
What is a real car meet, how should you behave in one, and what not to do? These are the topics that we will discuss in this article. We want to keep the Car Meet community alive because of all the positive energy that it brings. Its original mission – to share knowledge and love toward their cars should be saved.
What Is a Car Meet?
A car meet is a group gathering of car enthusiasts. They are either collectors of rare, old, or tuned cars, tuners, and races, or just regular Joes that love their cars. These meetings sometimes gather hundreds of people in large parking lots.
There you can hear a lot of intelligent people discussing all types of cars. You can learn the best way to resolve some difficult issues with a car or you can find out the best way to tune up a certain engine. These meets are often a chance to meet living car encyclopedias. Some of these car enthusiasts know so much about cars that you can listen to them for hours without blinking.
These meetings are also used to plan amateur car races in different categories. There, the tuned-up vehicles go head to head, and each driver can test their and their car’s mettle. Competing against regular guys who did a tuneup similar to you is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In these meets you can find a friend for life.
How Long Do Car Meets Last?
Most car meets last one day or through a weekend. But, if it is a show including different categories of cars, like oldtimers, and sports cars they can last a couple of days. Those meets that have competition races, and other driving skills tests can last for a week.
Are Car Meets Dangerous?
The modern car meets can be dangerous thanks to the suspicious crowds that they can attract. Before, everything was focused on a good atmosphere and constructive talks. In today’s car meets people often come just so they can draw attention. Often it is a place for drug and other abusive substances distribution.
That is just one part of the story. There are instances when dangerous types of events are organized. It is not just the revving or doing donuts, there were cases where cars were seriously damaged, and people hurt.
Why Do Cops Shut Down Car Meets
Excessive Litter On The Roads
Often these meetings are not properly organized. No one is securing the meeting, and there are no restrooms and trash cans. When the meet ends the surrounding area is filled with litter and garbage. Often people living nearby must organize and get everything the back it was.
Property Damage: Beyond the Cars
Damages to the cars are nothing new to those illegal meetings. But, often traffic signs, traffic lights, dumpsters, trash cans, or other person’s property ends up damaged or destroyed. Often the culprit behind the issue is never identified, leaving the problem to the locals. This is one of the reasons why people started calling the police in every case of car meet – regular, or illegal.
Using of Property Without Consent
These meetings are often organized in a location without the owner’s consent. Either that in the question is a parking lot or some other public space. When that happens the owners of the place can get in serious trouble with the law, without knowing that anything is happening.
The only thing that the owner can do is to call the police. And it can build resentment towards all the car meets.
Cost to Public and Private Entities
There are meets that are properly organized and have permits, and those that are organized illegally. When it is not known who organized an event, you cannot charge them for breaking the law. The police then must find an individual who committed a felony causing damages to private property.
If the police don’t identify the culprit, then someone else then the culprits will have to pay for the damages caused to private and public property. It will either go from private owner pockets or their insurance if it covers this type of damage. If the damage is done to the public property, it will in the end get fixed up from everyone’s pocket.
Impact on Public Safety: Accidents and Injuries
These meetings often end up with dangerous stunts committed by reckless drivers. Sometimes it is hard to hold participants accountable because they already fled the scene. Often these shady characters are unknown to the rest of the meetup crowd.
These individuals draw the attention of law enforcement due to their frequent practice of illegal and dangerous street racing. These races and stunts often end up with injuries and accidents to non-participants.
Street Racing and Car Meets: The Connection
The car meets also gathers drivers who enjoy tuning their cars. What’s the point of a tuned car, if you cannot test it? That is why these meetings often end up with races. It is all fine when the races are done in a safe environment, and when everything is properly organized. But, there are situations where there is no organization, and some hotheads end up racing around the city.
Often even if the meet-up is organized, the organizers cannot control these people. They go on their own and cause problems for the whole car enthusiast community.
Laws and Regulations: Car Meet Laws by State
Are Car Meets Illegal in California?
Car meets are legal only in case if they are properly organized. Racing and competing are possible only in a safe environment while following the law. All street racing is forbidden, and the police can confiscate your car. Also, all meets that are not reported to the police are considered illegal. In California, these meetings often gather suspicious characters, and that is why they are heavily monitored by the police.
Are Car Meets Illegal in Texas?
Like in many other states, Texas is also combating illegal street races, and car meets. The problem evolved that even some of the well-known car enthusiast meetings were shut down. They were a regular thing for years, but even those meetings started gathering shady people. The problem with illegal street racing grew that it made living in suburban parts of several cities unsafe.
The police force detected a lot of illegal activities in these meetings that don’t involve just street racing. That is why they are conducting thorough checkups of every car meet-up. For now, you can still organize a car meet, but it will be carefully observed.
Are Car Meets Illegal in New York?
For the last 5 years, the NYPD has been battling against illegal drag and street racing in several parts of the city, like Queens. Residents are constantly complaining and sending reports to law enforcement about reckless driving issues. Also, at illegal car meetups drug distribution is often taking place. Car meets are illegal in New York if they are not registered, organized, and done by the book.
Are Car Meets Illegal in Florida?
Illegal races and car meetings became a nuisance all over Florida. The newest laws ban any “lot takeover” for purposes of car meets and competition racing. Filming of these events is also forbidden. Laws are strict, and if a person is caught conducting these activities, they will lose a license for a year. Depending on the previous criminal record fines can go up to $5,000.
Other States
Michigan is one of those states where car meets have gone out of control. Although there are still a lot of regular meetings, where people gather to share their car passion, the rise of vandalism is evident. The police are having a hard time shutting down all the illegal meet-ups that often end with dangerous street racing.
Philadelphia introduced a new law after several fatalities happened in a series of illegal and dangerous meet-ups. The police can fine any attendee with a fee of up to $2,000. It can also confiscate any vehicle that is caught used for illegal drifting and car racing.
Delaware is also facing serious problems that are a result of illegal street racing. Dangerous stunts caused property damage both to the private owners and to the state. Several injuries are reported as a result of rates in packed streets. In recent months there have been reports of numerous illegal car meetings, that end up with either property damage, or other types of illegal activity. Police are heavily involved in resolving this issue.
How to Make A Car Meet Legal
Organizing a legal car meet is like organizing a large, complex event. We will go through the basic steps, so you can in front know what are you dealing with.
- Choose a theme. When you choose a theme, that will work as a common ground for the contesters and participants
- Set a budget. Incorporate all the possible expenses. The most important are the costs of the venue, mandatory permits, marketing, insurance of the event, and prizes
- Choose a date. Check the weather up front so you can have at least some guarantee that it won’t rain. Car meets are usually organized in the spring or summer. For best attendance choose Saturday, or Sunday, or book the whole weekend
- Choose a venue. Assess how many participants and visitors you can expect. Most car meets are held on large parking lots. Search and pay attention to the availability of the location. It should be covered with good infrastructure, it needs to be easy to get to and to be able to accommodate the crowd
- Take out the insurance. This way you can cover any unexpected damages. In most states, when organizing a car meet there is a type of insurance that you must pay
- Get all the necessary permits. This part depends on the state. How many permits and money they will take from your pocket you need to check beforehand. In either case, this is essential, and without permits, you cannot hold a car meet
- Organize a pre-registration process. Now when you choose the time, theme, and location and get the insurance and permits, you can invite people over. You can organize the registration online and in person. Do this on time, so all the interested people have time to sign up
- Do a marketing campaign. This is part of the process you can do at the same time as the registration process. Organize an online campaign of paid ads. Talk with local news to promote the event. Print flyers and distribute them around the neighborhood. Without a good marketing campaign, you can end up with low attendance.
This step-by-step process will not only ensure that the meet-up is legal, but will bring in revenue to the organization. Without a good organization, there is little point in conducting this type of gathering.
Shift to Virtual Car Meets
With the rise of online communication, the passion for cars also moved to the virtual space. There are several applications and online communities that offer different information and features regarding all types of cars, and car meetings. The most popular are:
- CarMeets. This is the most popular app that helps in connecting all car enthusiasts around the world. Through this app, you can find all the car meets nearby, or anywhere in the world. You can showcase your “garage” with the car you own. Upload pictures and add the specifications for all your rides. If you are looking for a car club, you can find it with CarMeets. If you want to start a new club, you can do it too. This app also offers a lot of discount offers for partners that work with CarMeets. Those include different tune-up marketplaces or better prices for meet-up attendance
- Roadstr. This is more than an app or a network. It is an organized community that connects car nerds. With it, you can host a car meeting, and take care of all details. You can make your meet an exclusive one, and take direct control of the crowd that is going to attend. On Roadstr you can create and navigate different car groups, where you can chat and share information, videos, and pictures. This powerful community offers planning trips, routes, and precise GPS options
- Throdle. This is an app with the primary mission of connecting car lovers. Their user base is fast growing thanks to ease of use and different nifty features. Here you can present your car, or show videos of your driving skills. You can share experiences with other similar-minded drivers. On Throdle you can find all the latest information about car meetings and different car clubs.
Car Meet Rules: What Everyone Needs To Know
Organizers often have their set of rules, but besides those, there are universal car-meet rules that you need to follow:
- Be on time. If you are a contested, you probably want to choose the best spot to show off your car. If you come late, you may end up with a lousy spot
- Do not speed in the parking lot. In some meets there are hundreds of visitors. Whole families with children and animals come to watch the cars. You can never know when someone can jump in front of you
- Do not take excess space. When parking do it properly. Do not block anyone, and leave enough space around you for others. Remember, both you and the drivers around you need enough space to move around cars
- Do not litter. This can be applied to everyday life, but yes, do not litter in a car meet. Organizers probably set up trash bins, so use them for their purpose
- Avoid making unnecessary noise. Yes, you want to show off your tuned-up engine and exhaust. But be mindful of the organizers and the surrounding community. Constant revving can be irritating, and someone from the neighborhood may call the police. Also, do not play loud music. That is annoying even if you like the music that someone else played
- Do not touch or enter vehicles without asking. If some car catches your eye, be mindful. Talk with the owner and ask if you can enter it or touch it. Most of these people feel that their cars are part of their personality, and they treat it like that
- Follow the rules of the meeting. The organizations probably have their set of rules. They made it to make it simple for everyone. Not everyone knows the rules of the car meet. These rules are a common ground for everyone, and you should follow them.
Check Out 5 Reasons NOT to Go to Car Meets:
Community and Advocacy: Tips on How to Have A Safe Car Meet
Organizing a safe car meeting is a real job today. Since these gatherings often draw the wrong crowd it is difficult to make everything perfectly safe. The first thing to do is notify the authorities about your intent to organize a car meeting. Then you need to make clear as an organizer that you will not tolerate any unlawful behavior. It is in no one interest to have police barging in and ending the gathering.
Then you should do everything that you can to attract the right crowd. Contact car clubs, and notify them about the car meeting that you are organizing. Walk around the neighborhood and hand out leaflets. Take the time to talk about the event. That way you will notify any potential visitor, that the gathering is going to be safe.
Keep in mind that the attendants will want to eat and drink something. If there are no food stands people tend to get cranky. Hire a company that offers this type of service. Food and drinks will work for everyone – you as an organizer, the food company, and the visitors.
Keep the police on the horn if you notice that something suspicious is happening. You want to prevent unlawful and dangerous behavior from the start. Once it lifts off, it is hard to calm everything down. With the best intentions also hire security.
These are just a couple of tips that may work for you. Keep a clear head, and try to organize a family-friendly happening.
FAQs
What Is Another Name for A Car Meet?
Other names for a car meet are a car show, a motor show, an automotive event, and a car display. There are other names, but these are most frequently used.
Are Truck Meets Illegal?
The laws that apply to car meets also apply to truck meets. If you want to organize a truck meet you need to get a permit and pay insurance. Besides that, you need to do everything in your power to allow a truck meet to undergo peacefully and in a good mood. That includes choosing a good date and location and providing basic services like food, water, and hygiene.
Is It Illegal To Pay For A Meetup?
You will need to pay the local government to get permits if you want to organize a car meeting. To get the permits you need to fulfill and uphold certain standards.
Can You Go to Prison for Street Racing in Florida?
If you are convicted for street racing in Florida you can face a financial fine between $500 to $5,000, your license can get revoked for a period of 2 to 4 years, and you can get in jail for 1 year. The severity of the penalty depends on the previous criminal record.
Final Considerations
The car meetings are regularly fun activities for the whole family. They are usually organized on the weekends, on the sunny and warm days. You take your family for a day in the sun to look at rare, old, and tuned-up cars. In between you watch a competitor race.
That was the tradition. Today, these meetings are often invaded by shady individuals. They don’t only want to show off their cars but are prone to dangerous exhibitions, like street racing. These crowds also attract drug dealers and other troublemakers. That is why car meetings are today labeled by bad stereotypes.
But, we should do what we can to return to the old golden days of the car meetings and their sole purpose – good company, hanging out, and enjoying cars.
