Street racers first to receive dangerous driving charge

Two motorcyclists will be the first people in the city to be charged with dangerous driving, after illegally street racing against each other last month, local police said Monday.

The men, surnamed Jin and Zhang, were released on bail at the end of last month, weeks after police caught them engaged in the illegal activity on Yanggao Road in Pudong New Area around 8 pm on February 3.

Police waved them over after they sped through a red light, but the two ignored the officers - and headed straight for the Fuxing Road East Tunnel.

Police quickly located their whereabouts with the help of traffic cameras, and the pair later admitted to running the light because they were "distracted by the thrill of their race."

The case marks the first for people in the city to be charged with the offense since dangerous driving was added to China's criminal laws last year, according to Lu Feng, a press officer for the city's public security bureau. The law that came into effect last year on May 1, however, failed to clearly stipulate what fines or jail time offenders face.

Both Jin and Zhang, who are awaiting a trial date, will also be charged for failing to possess valid licenses for their vehicles, which were consequently confiscated the night they were detained by police.