This is a growing movement in North America…
Car enthusiasts often are misunderstood and it’s for a variety of reasons. One of the latest movements which threatens our beloved hobby comes from states, provinces, and municipalities declaring open season on any vehicle that’s too loud for their arbitrarily set standards. The latest example comes via New York City.
Learn why a car YouTuber pled guilty to federal charges here.
Thanks to a post on Facebook page Lowered Congress, we know Big Apple government is using microphones on city cameras to cite anyone with an exhaust system not in compliance with the law. The post shows a letter sent to someone in early February, ordering them to bring the BMW M3 which was making too much noise in for noise testing.
In this case, the person ignored the first notice and so has been issued a second one. Only, this time they’re being issued a summons as well. Failure to appear can come with an $875 penalty, which increases for subsequent failures to appear.
The mailed notice is all about forcing people to comply with the law. For many people this is no big deal. After all, they get tired of hearing the shrill exhaust notes from low-restriction exhausts attached to four-cylinder engines and we honestly can’t blame them. But this likely won’t stop just at reducing noise pollution, and that’s where the real danger is. Brace yourselves for what might be next.
In the United States, being cited for speeding by a camera and not a police officer has been controversial. Some states have ceased the practice while others have leaned into it, such as New York. By continuing with the practice, those state governments are of course piggybacking on more compliance issues. Nobody should be shocked by this. Next, those cameras will be citing people for having a license plate light out or whatever else the government decides needs to be punished.
