Sound meters that capture the volume of passing vehicles have been introduced as a new feature to speed cameras by legislators.
In many cities, noise ordinances apply to anything from loud parties to construction noise and vehicles.
Police can measure your exhaust noise using a decibel meter, and if your car is too loud, you may be stopped and given a ticket.
These new noise regulations will mostly apply to modified vehicles.
Just last year, The Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution Act (SLEEP Act) was passed to “increase enforcement against motorists and repair shops that illegally modify mufflers and exhaust systems to make them excessively noisy.”
A trial program was launched last year in New York City, which has strict noise ordinances, to use traffic cameras fitted with sound meters to monitor and ticket loud motorcycles and cars.
According to the Associated Press, loud vehicles may face fines of up to $800 for disobeying the law. And that only applies to the first infraction. If the driver disregards the third offense hearing, the fine increases to $2,625.
So far, over 71 New York City drivers have been caught with the sound measuring cameras.
Currently, the program is only being tested in NYC.
