Proposed bill would catch drag racers using license plate readers in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Disruptive and dangerous, that's what one council member is calling drag racing that's going on in her South Nashville district.

Council member Joy Styles says drag racing has always been a problem but has gotten worse since the pandemic.

"When these drag racers get together, they'll often do doughnuts in the parking lot; so you go the next day and there's all these black marks, well someone has to pay for that," said Styles.

She says they're now taking the races to two-lane roads like Mount View and Preston. On Friday and Saturday, Metro Nashville police made a pair of arrests and impounded four cars for dragging racing.

This is all part of the department's initiative to combat drag racing. Metro police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol have increased patrol to catch drivers in the act.

"The way that drag racing is disrupting people's lives right now on top of the fact that we're in a pandemic, it’s unnecessary and it’s inconsiderate," said Styles.

The council member is proposing legislation to lift the city's ban on license plate scanners just for the purpose to catch drag racers.

"The purpose of the scanners and of my bill is to help our communities, it’s not to hinder, it’s not to surveil individuals, we're not trying to invade on anyone's privacy at all this is merely to catch people who are out of compliance with the law," Styles said.

She says the cameras will only take a picture of the backplate and not anyone in the car.

Styles is calling this the first step of many in fighting this ongoing problem.

The bill will be on second reading Tuesday night in Metro Council.