It has now been more than two years that the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais has regularly issued decrees aimed at prohibiting tuning gatherings on public roads. The decision to ban this practice from certain sectors of the department is completely assumed by the representative of the State, who denounces the multiplication of wild gatherings, one of which ended in tragedy. Collateral victims, fans of tuning, and not of “runs”, are struggling to find places to welcome them.
The first decree “aiming to prohibit any gathering of people and vehicles whose objective is to carry out tuning and runing demonstrations” was issued in June 2021 by the prefect of Pas-de-Calais. However, the systematic renewal of this ban is a little more recent and linked to a tragedy. On the anniversary of the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a wild “run” was organized in the industrial zone known as the “Portes du Nord”, in Libercourt, not far from Lens. An illegal straight line race, during which one of the participants had lost control of his Mégan RS and hit the crowd of spectators. The shock left six seriously injured, and one of them, a 19-year-old young man, did not survive.
Haro on those “who are stupid on the rassos”
Since then, the authorities have made sure “to prevent this situation from happening again” by simply prohibiting gatherings in the two most problematic districts: Lens and Béthune. On the other hand, the representative of the State claims to target only undeclared and therefore illegal events. Announced on social networks, but not authorized for all that, several “rassos” have also been aborted by the police. “It should be emphasized that the sub-prefects of Béthune and Lens are at the disposal of the organizers to be able to organize events to guarantee the safety of the spectators”, affirms the prefecture to 20 minutes. And to give the example of a “car exhibition” carried out by students.
In reality, things don’t seem to be that simple. It’s not easy to come into contact with people from this milieu, especially when you’re a journalist. There is a real distrust, founded or not, in particular because of the amalgam which is often made between fans of tuning and followers of “runs”. This is precisely the obsession of David, a fan of beautiful cars living in Bruay-la-Buissière: “We organize events according to the rules and we ask participants not to do ”runs” or ‘ ‘burns’”, he assures. For him, it is those “who make the idiots on the rassos” who give a bad image of the discipline. “We were supposed to have a Halloween gathering in Bruay, in October 2021, but it was canceled,” laments David.
“I know people who give up and put their car up for sale”
If the prefect made it clear that the mayors could authorize the privatization of the road network to organize “speed races respecting the legality”, the elected officials nevertheless seem cooled. In Calonne-Ricouart, near Lens, the city ensures that it has not hosted any tuning event for two years “due to the prefectural decree”. David confirms it, “it’s complicated to organize a rally in the Pas-de-Calais”. And as much in the North obviously. “There are a lot fewer events than before, to my knowledge, at least forty have been canceled,” says Viannick, from Roubaix. A complicated passion to share, so much so that some are throwing in the towel: “There are ups and downs and I know people who give up and put their car up for sale,” he slips.
So how to compose between prohibition and passion? If some people break the rules, it’s not necessarily a good idea. “Sometimes we improvise, we have to, recognizes Viannick. But the police arrive to have us arrested because of the guys who are doing ”runs””. “All we want is for the prefecture to give us a place to hold our gatherings among car enthusiasts,” asks David. It’s badly crossed, especially since the prefecture has renewed for July and August, its famous banning order.