The New York City City Council is considering increasing fines for motorists whose vehicles exceed permitted noise levels, according to a report from the Daily News.
Sponsored by Councilman Eric Bottcher (D-Manhattan), the legislation would double fines currently in place for honking horns, tailpipes modified to produce excessive noise, and use of “illegal sound-producing devices.”
The minimum fine is currently $3,000. Bottcher’s legislation raises the minimum fine to $6,000, according to the report.
The first offense fine for a noisy car exhaust would increase from $525 to $1,050; a third-time violation would increase from a maximum of $1,575 to $3,150, under the proposed legislation.
Excessive honking could subject a motorist to a fine of $2,000 for the first offense, an increase from the current fine of $1,000, and a third offense of $6,000, double the current fine.
Motorists could be fined $3,950 for vehicles with illegal sound-producing devices.
“All New Yorkers know how it feels to be woken up in the middle of the night by an obnoxiously loud vehicle. These vehicles and drivers are not only rude and inconsiderate, they actually harm people’s physical and mental health,” Bottcher told the News.
The legislation is expected to be presented to the City Council on Thursday.
In October, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that increases penalties for motorists and repair shops that illegally modify mufflers and exhaust systems to deafening levels. The law went into effect on Friday, April 1.
The maximum fine a repair shop can receive for installing noisy mufflers and exhaust systems is $1,000, a significant increase from the previous fine of $150. If caught three times in 18 months, the repair shop risks losing its inspection station certificate as well as its operating certificate.
The legislation also adds a requirement for inspection stations to check motorcycles for mufflers and exhausts that have been illegally modified.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) noted that there is some confusion about the new legislation; Well, New Yorkers tend to believe that altered mufflers and exhausts have been listed as illegal in recent years, but have been illegal since 1925.
“All New Yorkers deserve to feel safe and comfortable in their community, and that includes cracking down on excessively noisy vehicles on our streets. This legislation discourages drivers from installing illegal vehicular equipment that generates hazardous noise levels that can contribute to hearing loss and increased emissions,” Hochul said.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launched a pilot program that uses a combination of sound meters and highway cameras to capture evidence of noisy vehicles violating state law and noise codes from the city.
Sensors installed alongside the road are activated when sounds exceed 85 decibels before video of the vehicle making the noise is captured. DEP staff then review the videos and may issue notices to vehicle owners directing them to a DEP facility for inspection to ensure compliance with city and state laws. Penalties can range from $220 for a first offense to $2,265 for repeat offenders.
The law approved by Hochul does not include the use of sensors to detect violations.
Because sound cameras operate under the city’s noise code, they don’t require state legislation, unlike red light cameras, for example, which issue citations such as moving or traffic violations.
The DEP did not clarify where the program is currently operating, or how many violations it has issued.
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