Loud Vehicles Making You See Red? Michigan is Cracking Down

As spring rounds the corner in Michigan and you can finally have your doors and windows open to let in some fresh air, you'll be letting something else in:  Noise pollution.

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If you're fed up with having to rewind your shows so you can hear what was said or having kids awakened by noisy vehicles driving by the house, there could be some relief in sight, or shall we say "within earshot."

A Proposal to Crack Down on Noisy Vehicles in Michigan

It's not on the books yet, but a proposed Michigan law would increase penalties for drivers operating vehicles that have been intentionally modified to be excessively noisy.

Michigan State Representative Natalie Price is behind House Bill 5696 which targets both individuals who alter vehicles' exhaust systems to increase noise production and the drivers of those vehicles.

Price tells WDIV-TV that the proposal would give police officers the authority to target drivers whose vehicles are excessively noisy. Price notes that the situation is especially problematic along Detroit's Woodward Avenue.

"Day and night, Woodward is often used as a racetrack by drivers who have modified their vehicle’s exhaust systems with boosters that amplify their noise and often sound like gunshots," she said. "The effect is deafening noise and a seriously eroded quality of life for residents and businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods."

 

Exceptions for Certain Noisy Vehicles

The proposal would afford grace to first time offenders and those individuals who have vehicles with mechanical issues, as long as they demonstrate compliance before their scheduled court dates.

The station reports that the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation.