License to Speed

They zig and zag at high speeds, not on race tracks, but on popular roads throughout Palm Beach County. Speed bikers are taking their need for speed onto our roadways, endangering not only their lives, but the lives of every other driver they zoom by at over 100 miles per hour. The worst part about it is, police can't catch them.

CBS 12 rode along with Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies on several nights to get a first hand account of how big the problem is. During one ride along, CBS 12's cameras were rolling when we spotted a group of bikers doing double the speed limit on Military Trail near Forest Hill Boulevard. The deputy attempted to catch up. But in an instant, the bikers scattered and two of them took off at over 120 miles an hour, and disappeared into the night.

"we can't even catch up to the violators that are doing 90... and if they see us pull out... then they'll accelerate even further... and they'll get from 90 to 120 like that," said Deputy Stu Sussman, with PBSO.

The speed comes with a sense of thrill and pride for bikers terrorizing our roads. Many of them post clips of themselves on you tube, showcasing their ability to speed recklessly. Then they get on the road next to you and me to show off, knowing that they can outrun law enforcement at any time.

"they're killing themselves and more importantly they're killing their passengers if they have them on there," said Sussman.

That was the case last May when a jolt of energy forced Mary-Ann Stapelton out of bed. She turned the news on to find breaking news about a motorcycle accident. Hours later she was informed by a sheriff's deputy that her 17 year-old daughter, Chelsea, had died in a motorcycle accident. The young teen was riding on the back of a speed bike, when the driver hit a car at about a 140 miles per hour.

"May 23rd was the worst day of our lives," said Stapleton.

Even now, when the Stapleton's see a "crotch-rocket" on the road, they cringe and remember that night. Florida lawmakers just passed House Bill 137 implementing heavier fines and threatening to take a reckless driver or riders license away for prolonged periods. But some say that's not enough.

Stapelton says she is happy that the politicians in Tallahassee want to implement tougher penalties. But she wonders how they will do it, when police can't even catch these speed bikes. Making matters worse are the budget cuts planned by the state which could leave numerous law enforcement agencies throughout Florida with very limited manpower. With less patrols, and more bikers knowing they can get away, safety on our roads may be in jeopardy. The question now is what can be done to put a stop to the problem?

House Bill 137 recently approved by the Florida House and Senate, will implement heavier fines for reckless bikers, and threaten to suspend a reckless riders license for prolonged periods. Originally the bill, which was approved during the last legislative session, allowed for law enforcement to take a persons bike for a third reckless biking offense. That provision though, was removed from the bill before the final version was approved.

Police say about 60 percent of bikers do not have a valid motorcycle license, required by state law. That means that they cannot apply for insurance. So on top of breaking the law and endangering lives, some speed demons are also riding un-insured. This total disregard for the law is causing a domino effect of problems that will only continue jeopardizing safety on our roads.