Police clamping down on noisy exhausts
Monday 26 July 2010 Back to Blog
Driving around with an exhaust pipe louder than 90 decibels is a punishable offence, van leasing customers in the east of England are learning.
A new crackdown on over-the-top exhausts being carried out by police in Suffolk has so far seen dozens of drivers stopped and fined for having adjusted their vehicles to make them louder.
According to the force, exhausts are barred by law from emitting noise in excess of 90 decibels, equivalent to the sound of a pneumatic drill or a chainsaw, the BBC has reported.
However, some of the drivers pulled over by officers in the past few days were found to have modified their vehicles so that they emitted noise levels above the 100 decibel mark, thereby landing themselves with on-the-spot fines.
"Over two thirds of those vehicles we tested had illegal exhausts and have had to pay a £30 fine as well as the cost of making the exhaust legal again," Sergeant Paul Stock told the news provider.
This comes as Grampian police in Scotland are stepping up their efforts to reduce the number of drivers, including van leasing customers, getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.