RESIDENTS are fighting back against noisy vehicles with modified engines with a new proposal that could impose hefty $1000 fines.
Michigan lawmakers have proposed changes to the state’s Vehicle Code laws to ban specific engines on a new batch of roads.
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Lawmakers are debating House Bill 5696, a proposal that could levy larger fines for cars with loud exhaust noises.
Aftermarket exhaust systems are a popular modification for car enthusiasts.
However, some exhaust modifications can make cars much louder when accelerating.
Natalie Price, a state representative and sponsor of the bill, said the modified engines had been at the center of a debate on her city’s Woodward Avenue.
“Day and night, Woodward is often used as a racetrack by drivers who have modified their vehicles’ exhaust systems with amplifiers that amplify the noise and often sound like gunshots,” Price said in a news release.
“The effect is deafening noise and a serious degradation in the quality of life for residents and businesses in neighboring neighborhoods.”
Michigan laws already prohibit modifications to excessively noisy engines.
However, police can only impose a $100 civil fine against drivers.
“We are well aware of the issue of modified vehicles and drag racing on our roads,” Birmingham Police Chief Scott Grewe said in a statement.
“Existing law limits what we can do about it, and unfortunately the current civil infractions of $100 per infraction do not appear to deter this behavior.”
Residents said the noisy engines had far-reaching externalities on their neighborhoods and furry friends.
“My neighbor came over earlier this evening and was really worried that it was gunshots and not cars backfiring,” Alyssa Marsack, a resident in the area, said in the statement.
“My dog got scared several times today and ran inside while trying to enjoy her yard.”
The new bill would increase fines and increase some infractions to misdemeanors if lawmakers pass the proposal into law.
A first offense carries an initial civil fine of $500.
Noisy Cars, Explained
Here are some of the modifications that regulators are looking to fight:
Engine and exhaust modifications are extremely popular among car enthusiasts.
Dozens of aftermarket systems can increase a car’s performance and make it louder.
For example, some drivers may implement performance air intakes and turbochargers to increase engine power.
Other drivers may change the muffler, catalytic converter, or exhaust pipes to increase airflow.
Both changes can increase the decibels in an engine’s notes.
Drivers can also make important changes, such as removing soundproofing parts around the engine.
But studies show that increased road noise has a cumulative impact on residents’ health.
A recent Harvard Medicine study found that residents who live near noisy roads have an increased risk of heart and lung disease, anxiety and type 2 diabetes.
Participants near noisy roads also reported increased sleep and mental health problems compared to their counterparts in quiet neighborhoods.
However, drivers can have their fine reduced in court if they present documentation that reverses the modification noises.
A second offense will increase the fine to $1,000.
Drivers who receive a second fine will still be able to reduce the amount by presenting the necessary modifications to the Court.
However, a third fine for noisy engine modifications will cost drivers even more.
Some drivers in the region spoke out against the proposed law. They said the potential rules would interfere with personal freedom and the right to modify their vehicle as they see fit.
“Wow, another useless law,” wrote one Michigan resident on Facebook.
“Car sound systems are now louder than the exhaust,” added another driver.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
