Residents in Harrisonburg are coming together to make sure drag racing comes to an end, and they're starting with children under ten. Crosswalk Adventures group is teaching them the differences between professional racing and racing on a public street, along with the dangers associated with both.

Zach Straits, Director of Crosswalk Adventures, says, "When they get their first car, the first thing they want to do is go out and drive it fast, and usually it's on a public street."

Straits and his group set up a drag racing simulation using tricycles. That way kids can have fun and learn about the dangers of racing early in life.

Strait says, "There has been some accidents recently in the area, and there's been some lives, precious lives lost."

Deborah Montanez and her husband watch their son Gabriel race. She says he's having a good time, and believe it or not, he's learning too.

Montanez says, "He was paying attention and is learning safety, and just watching for the time, doing it within a designated area, and just having fun."

Strait says, "Most accidents happen in street racing when they take off and the car has so much power that it goes sideways and it can go into a crowd, it can hit the car beside it."

Since tricycles can't hit high speeds, there's no need for special precautions, but quite the opposite is true in professional drag racing. The tracks are designed to grip the wheels, and safety rails are present around the course.

Strait says, "There's usually emergency help there because accidents can happen even on the racetrack, but it is a safe environment. There is emergency personnel on sight, if something does happen."

Straits says public roads can be dangerous because they may be slick from oil. Public roads are also "crowned" to allow water to run off easily. Neither of these things would be found on a professional course.