A donked Impala, somewhere other than Cincinnati. Image: Phillip Pessar

Like big wheels? Does your taste in automotive styling run to the donk side? If so, I’d suggest you stay away from Cincinnati, Ohio, where police are using a little known section of the municipal code to seize cars rolling on wheels deemed “too large” to be safe. I haven’t seen any clear definition on what size constitutes a “threat to public safety”, but I’d be willing to guess that your risk of an impounded vehicle goes up exponentially with wheel sizes over 20”. If impounded, the vehicles must pass a “safety inspection” before they can be returned to their owners, and guess who pays for that inspection? The owners, who also get saddled with towing and impound fees.

I’m not a donk guy, myself, but this whole thing just stinks of profiling to me. If you really want to improve safety, why not begin ticketing distracted drivers, who pose more of a risk than someone rolling on a set of 24” rims? If window-rattling bass is the real issue, pass a noise ordinance and begin handing out tickets to offending drivers. If the real issue is a crackdown on culture foreign to you, where does it end? It seems to me that municipal leaders in Cincinnati would be well served to re-read their high school history books.

Source: Jalopnik, via AutoGuide