Madness – Illegal Car Racing

26 May 2023 to 27 May 2024

Reckless driving is a common occurrence, often ending in tragedy and reaching its peak risk in illegal car racing. This underscores the need to address this phenomenon and, most importantly, to ask: How do we curb the need for speed?

Crash vehicle of the Kudamm racer victim: destroyed jeep lying on its side — A central exhibit is the wreckage of the jeep in which Michael Warshitsky died in Berlin in 2016—an unfortunate victim of an illegal street race. Photo: SDTB/Tzscheuschner

The special exhibition on illegal car racing was developed at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin in collaboration with the Berlin Police. The Transport Center adds a local perspective to "Madness."

Using current examples—such as the so-called Kudamm racing incident in 2016, which led to the death of an innocent bystander—the exhibition explores why some car enthusiasts recklessly pursue the "speed thrill" and examines how historical roots of automotive culture and societal ideals contribute to this behavior.

The necessity for countermeasures is starkly illustrated by the displayed wrecked vehicles: Stricter legislation and enforcement, public education and traffic training, the redesign and retrofitting of roads, and driver assistance systems for speed regulation are all measures aimed at curbing the madness of illegal street racing.

605illegal street races annually in Bavaria, four fatalities, 128 injuries

Visitors are invited to share their opinions and suggestions and to take the wheel of a driving simulator at three scheduled times to test their own reaction skills.

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Unfallwagen Jeep liegt auf der Seite — The jeep of Michael Warshitsky, who died on February 1, 2016, as a victim of an illegal street race in Berlin. Photo: Deutsches Museum, München | Reinhard Krause

Gaming-Stuhl für Computer-Rennspiele — The special exhibition also examines potential causes of reckless driving, including the question of how much influence racing games may have. Photo: Deutsches Museum, München | Reinhard Krause

Eine Motorradfahrerpuppe liegt neben einer umgekippten Maschine — A mannequin rider lies beside an overturned motorcycle: This dramatic scene is intended to provoke thought about the deadly consequences of speed addiction. Photo: Deutsches Museum, München | Reinhard Krause

Radargeräte. — A row of "speed cameras": Radar devices are used to detect speed violations in order to enforce penalties. Photo: Deutsches Museum, München | Reinhard Krause

The traveling exhibition of the Deutsches Technikmuseum was created in collaboration with the Berlin Police.