New Law Could Silence Loud Exhausts

The problem with individuals with loud exhaust policing themselves is just that, a problem they will not do it. I live in a remote area and the sports bikes and sports cars with modified exhaust race up and down the mountain. The speed limit is 40 but they do well over 80mph sometimes over 100mph. Most have loud and modified engines and exhaust, almos deafening.They pass on corners across double yellow lines endangering fellow drivers and riders. I know requiring the cars to be unmodified will not stop the speeding but maybe with my windows closed I’ll be able to at least hear my radio and TV.

Sounds great when there on the road. When the thinks it ok to rev the engine for over an hour when you trying to eat ,that’s not cool.I agree with the soon to be new law.

I Florida it's crazy loud, poor folks with hearing aids suffer, we all suffer at 2 am with screaming crotch rockets racing on nearby roads. Big Harley types think the louder there bikes are the girls will be attracted lol (high school mentality). We need that law in florida

Noise violations are almost impossible to enforce, since they all (according to the research I've done) require an intricate setup to evaluate the noise in a particular setting.

Just requiring police vehicles to carry equipment that can evaluate vehicle noise levels and giving them the authority to use it is a huge step forward in noise violation enforcement. From what I've seen, the typical response from police to noise complaints is, "Sorry, but we don't have the equipment to measure the noise to allow writing a ticket, but we'll give them a verbal warning."

Naturally, the ever-increasing friction between people in neighborhoods doesn't stop at ridiculously loud vehicles, as gas-powered leaf blowers, string trimmers, mowers, chain saws, power washers, and a host of construction tools all emit noise well over the 60dB threshold that most noise ordinances are written to. My biggest objection to the SLEEP Act in this article is that it allows motorcycles to produce noise up to 95dB. That is absolutely ridiculously loud.

I have a neighbor 4 houses down with a stupidly-loud motorcycle that rattles my windows and walls whenever he starts it and of course he leaves it idling in his driveway for about 10 minutes while he walks around doing whatever he does to get ready to leave (and whatever he does when he gets home before he pulls it in the garage). As soon as he starts driving, absolutely nothing else is audible in my house. I can be sitting right in front of the TV or talking right next to someone and there is no way to hear anything until he gets almost 1/4 mile away -- and that's with all the windows closed.

Various iPad noise meters I have used to measure the sound puts it at 50-60dB when idling down the street and 75-80dB when driving by barely above an idle (the ambient noise level in the house is 40dB). This far exceeds the 60dB limit of our local noise ordinance, but as I said, the police won't do anything about it (and there's some speculation the guy is a police officer himself anyway).

So my point is that besides 95dB being far beyond annoying and extremely disrespectful to other people, it is well documented that noise over 80-85 dB is hearing loss inducing -- so to have a legal limit that contributes to hearing loss is very irresponsible.

I've also been "that guy". Among other vehicles, I had a very nice Corvette with headers and Borla exhaust that used to set off car alarms as I drove through parking lots. I even took it to Germany when I was stationed there and living out in town, I was introduced to the extremely respectful society they have. After living there a while, I was embarrassed to be associated with the great number of "Ugly Americans" that permeate other countries. I also felt horrible each morning when I started my car and I always tried to keep as quiet as possible by finessing the clutch and driving out of the neighborhood at an idle.

Of course, I grew up and the need to be loud and obnoxious for no particular reason faded.

With the rise of electric vehicles, there will naturally be a decline in fossil-fuel powered vehicles and other equipment, that on one hand may make issues like noise legislation less necessary, but I also think this is going to create a new class of "have and have-nots". I believe in the short term there will be drastic increases in the ever-growing rift we have seen between neighbors, communities, states, political parties, etc. with many people "blaming" electric vehicles (think "ICE-ing" and all the indiscriminate vandalism to Teslas multiplied by every manufacturer that comes out with an electric car).

Like it or not, electric vehicles will dominate the marketplace very soon, and legislators have a huge portion of the population ready to pull out their guns and bats to start shooting and bashing everything in sight they don't agree with or simply can't dominate by overpowering. So you have to ask yourself, how can we possibly "normalize" society so people can have their own beliefs, but don't feel the need to kill other people to proclaim their beliefs? What is going to happen when the winning car on race day is an electric car?

So when looking at legislation that seeks to limit the "rights" of people to modify and use their vehicles in obnoxious and environmentally irresponsible ways, take a moment to think through how you would solve the greater issues that are trying to be addressed rather than just instinctively bashing someone's attempt at making a better life for a part of society that may not currently include you.

Fine for the racetrack or drag strip but If you and your family were waken up at all hours of the night by Mufflerless Harleys or Rams and F150's with straight pipes you might think differently.

STOP THE FRIGGIN NOISE….

I’m all for the “Sleep Act”. I have neighbors who run their damn Harleys up and down the street even setting off car alarms. The fact that the rest of us gave to live with the noise for a quarter of a mile after these selfish high school mentality Harley pass IS A CRIME.

I agree that government involvement is often not of any benefit, but I don't see any other realistic solution for this problem. I live in Bayside, Queens and these idiots burn up the streets outside my house every single night and day. You can't find "common ground" with people who make a sport and hobby of showing the most flagrant possible disregard for everyone around them. These morons are the street equivalent of people who blast music on open speakers on the subways. They don't care and their desperation for validation makes them likely to be worse if you try to bring it up politely. I"m glad this law has passed and I hope to god that every one of these man children in my area gets slapped with fines until they grow the hell up and stop with this childish nonsense. Put your toys away and be a big boy

I don't know about other states, but in NJ the state gov stopped requiring inspections and every year the intrusive and incessant modified exhausts has steadily gotten worse.

Young kids are basically trolling society with their noisemakers in the most cowardly, entitled way imaginable, treating public roads like their own personal Fast and Furious fantasy playground.

Every now and then, a loud car doesn't bother most reasonable people. But the current fascination with insanely loud extreme exhausts is a source of constant torment for people because it is so intrusive and incessant. NJ sounds like a formula one racetrack now. As if we needed our roads to be more rage filled and obnoxious.

Do what you want with your cars kids, but when it's intrusive into people's homes, the one place where they can chill, then you're being an entitled asshole.

Hooray for the SLEEP Act. Boys with loud toys have become intolerable here in Columbia, SC. I wish we could get a similar law here. I support good government and this a great example of lawmakers responding to real problems. The whining about rights by loud drivers is laughable. Fine them all!

Isn't "RPM" a cutesy name? Typical style of fools who think unnecessary noise is their right. I live on a main thoroughfare and have to endure these motherf*diets with their goofy modified exhausts. And it's not just bottles and legitimate sports cars: noodles driving dodge neons and 90s model civics. And the imbeciles in the trucks that need headers. And then there's all the racing and stupid ass crap like burnouts and donuts. How old are we? Sema pulled a fast one on California when it paid off the governor to amend (rescind) changes to the noise law. More people are paying attention now and the days of waking up babies and old folks... "rev bombing" (see YouTube if you don't know what rev bombs are.).... Setting off alarms and evoking skowls from as many people as possible are soon ending. These backwards ruined it for themselves. They may think they can do their obnoxious stunts and deafen the public at large with impunity, wearing their adolescent "I don't stop for cops" shirts... How about the rest of us? You gonna stop for us when we drift into your lane? Impunity isn't so funny when bikes start getting knocked over and bricks find their way though charger windshields. I don't practice or condone these behaviors, but you have to have your head completely up your ass if you think you can wake up the neighborhood, setting off alarms, getting dogs riled up and park on the street expecting your vehicle to be respected. And of course, that's exactly where most of these goons do keep their heads. So the cutesy RPM nonsense is just moronic. There is no middle ground. When the noise problem is crushed, it will be crushed dead. There are way more of us than them, sema lobbyists notwithstanding. We've got your rev bomb right here..! There will always be a few brain damaged goofs who will ignore the laws and when we hear these solitary obnoxious douches, well all have a good chuckle. Pointing and laughing at the pathetic clueless dumbass as they rev by....

Little boys with their hot wheels cars....LOL COMPENSATING FOR THAT LITTLE THING BETWEEN THEIR LEGS....

Just find out where they live and key their vehicle

"But no law should tell people what they can and can’t do to a vehicle they rightfully own..."

sometimes, it's a good idea to think before writing.