VC 23109 (a) A person shall not engage in a motor vehicle speed contest on a highway. As used in this section, a motor vehicle speed contest includes a motor vehicle race against another vehicle, a clock, or other timing device. For purposes of this section, an event in which the time to cover a prescribed route of more than 20 miles is measured, but where the vehicle does not exceed the speed limits, is not a speed contest.

Violations of California Vehicle Code VC 23109 (a) are very serious criminal charges that can have negative consequences that last for 10 years or more.  These are misdemeanor violations, which are criminal offenses.  Misdemeanor violations will give the driver a criminal record for 7-10 years, which will show up on most background searches.

The penalties for violating VC 23109 (a) includes 2 points on the DMV record for 10 years, possible jail sentence of 5 days to 3 months, and fines between $300 to $1,000. 

Speed Contest offenses can double, even triple, a driver’s insurance rates for many years.

If charged with VC 23109 (a), it is highly recommended to hire an experienced attorney to help with this.  An experienced attorney will often get a far better outcome for a driver than that person could obtain on their own.

This is why you never want to accept the charges, plead guilty, and pay the fines for reckless driving violations.