Burnouts leave tire marks on Gunflint Trail, other local roads

It’s not the crime of the century. It’s just annoying.

These are the sentiments from the sheriff and the highway engineer in Cook County following an uptick in “burnouts” being left on local roadways, including the Gunflint Trail.

A burnout is essentially when someone spins a vehicle’s tires while the vehicle remains still. The spinning tires create friction with the road, resulting in smoke and what is referred to commonly as “burning rubber.” The end result is a dark streak left on the road. Such action does not hurt the road in most instances, according to Cook County Highway Engineer Robbie Hass, but they’re not wanted on taxpayer funded roads.

“It’s more annoying than anything else,” Hass said.

It’s also illegal.

Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen said a local ordinance passed in 1994 strictly prohibits driving that creates “tire squealing, skidding, sliding, swaying, or tire spinning.” With that in mind, if someone is caught making burnouts on a local road they can be charged with a misdemeanor, Eliasen said during a recent WTIP interview.

The most egregious example of someone creating burnouts on a local road are the numerous marks on the Gunflint Trail near George Washington Pines (see photos accompanying this article).

To listen to the interviews with Hass and Eliasen about burnouts left on local roads in Cook County, listen to the audio below.

Joe Friedrichs September 23, 2023