Don’t go ‘Cruisin’ for trouble: Ocean City lays out rules for Cruisin’ Ocean City Special Event Zones

Ocean City is bracing for the roar of thousands of classic and custom cars next week as the 35th Annual Cruisin’ Ocean City event kicks off in Maryland.

The high-profile car celebration is expected to bring lots of vehicles and a sea of spectators to the beach town — and with it, tighter enforcement.

City officials have once again activated a Special Event Zone, a designation that reduces speed limits and doubles fines for violations such as speeding and reckless driving — issues that have plagued past events.

The Special Event Zone, which blankets the entire resort area during Cruisin’ week, transforms the town into a heavily patrolled corridor. State and local police will have increased presence.

Cruisin’ Ocean City, run by Special Event Productions, features car parades, boardwalk cruises, live entertainment and celebrity appearances. But it’s also drawn criticism in the past for attracting street racers and rowdy crowds — something the city says it’s cracking down on hard.

Organizers are urging attendees to keep it legal and respect the rules.

The Special Events Zones will be in effect from April 29 through Sunday, May 4.

More information is available online.

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Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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