Georgia lawmakers weigh how loud is too loud for cars
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
The loud and roaring vehicles that rattle the walls of Midtown skyscrapers, rouse babies from their sleep and send your pets into hiding are on lawmakers' radars.
Why it matters: A Georgia House study committee is considering whether to strengthen or clarify the state's laws regulating excessive noise like the kind caused by modified mufflers.
Zoom in: Georgia has a patchwork of local ordinances and a vague, subjective state law regulating mufflers that cause "excessive or unusual" noise.
- Health advocates and weary residents say enforcement is inconsistent or inadequate and the public's quality of life and health are suffering.
- However, noise is difficult to regulate.
Driving the news: This past Thursday, Jamie Banks, the founder of Quiet Communities, told state lawmakers that stress caused by chronic exposure to excessive noise is associated with cardiovascular and mental-health problems.
- "These are the kinds of sounds that can cause that throbbing, thumping, rumbling," she said. "And these are things that can be felt."
- "Residents sometimes report that their residential streets sound more like racetracks than neighborhoods," Banks said.
Reality check: Buckhead resident Anne McKillips urged the Legislature to study stationary noise-detection devices to gather intelligence on problem spots and court-grade decibel meters for police.
The other side: Brad Ocock, a former auto magazine journalist and car show organizer, questioned some of the measurements and evidence presented to lawmakers. He said the popping or backfiring you hear can be caused by engine tuning rather than the modified muffler itself.
- "I have a real hard time believing that this is a true problem that you want to solve rather than a hot rodder problem that you want to solve," he said.
Yes, but: Georgia's muffler law prohibits mufflers that cause "excessive or unusual" noise, and local law enforcement need an objective standard, such as a decibel limit, Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish told the committee.
- "Please just tell us what is loud and excessive. … Codify that, and it'll make our jobs a lot easier."
What we're watching: Whether lawmakers want to pick up a subjective and contentious issue and propose legislation for the next session in January.