Ocean City implementing temporary road rules ahead of 'Crusin' Ocean City' event
Temporary road rules going into place ahead of Cruisin’ Ocean City
Ocean City is prepared to crack down on dangerous drivers with a major car event coming to town next week.
OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City is prepared to crack down on dangerous drivers with a major car event coming to town next week.
This is an event where you can get ticketed for driving the normal speed limit because they lower it.
Also, anyone trying to burn out their tires, or even pedestrians who encourage a car to do burnouts can be ticketed. It's safe to say Ocean City is not having any nonsense as 35,000 cars are expected to visit the town.
The backstory:
The 35th annual Cruisin’ Ocean City is an event for car enthusiasts featuring classic and custom vehicles from all over the country but in past car events in Ocean City, the streets have quickly become unsafe with reckless drivers.
That's why next week, law enforcement is activating special event zones.
The zones lower the speed limit to 30 miles per hour max and increase fines with enhanced penalties. So what would usually be a $90 ticket could be up to $1,000.
There are also enhanced laws for burnout, spinning wheels and excessive noise — all of which could lead to arrest.
What they're saying:
"They were taking over intersections of large groups, doing the burnouts. You're holding up all the traffic and with that, it's very easy to lose control of a vehicle. When you're in a crowd, you've got spectators. They want to see your cool colors," Ocean City Police Department’s Deputy Communications Manager Ashley Miller said. "Everybody's there if you lose control of that vehicle, not only is it dangerous for you other drivers but all those pedestrians on that sidewalk as well."
What we know:
The special event zone signs are posted around Ocean City, letting people know it will be in effect from April 29 to May 4.
To enforce this, not only will Ocean City officers will be on duty, they are getting assistance from surrounding areas as well. Worcester County deputies and Maryland State Police will help, along with the Maryland state motor unit.
The number of citations handed out during recent events has been on a decline, suggesting people are getting the message that reckless driving will not be tolerated.