Photo Courtesy of Kevin Coughlin/Office of the Governor
Governor Hochul on Friday signed the Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution Act into law.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday signed legislation that increases penalties against motorists and repair shops that illegally modify mufflers and exhaust systems to make them excessively noisy—an act associated with aggressive driving that harms community health, safety and comfort.
The Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution (SLEEP) Act amends vehicle and traffic law, increasing fines and penalties and creating stricter regulations on vehicle equipment. Maximum fines for installing illegal equipment will be raised to $1,000, an $850 increase. Inspection stations will also be required to inspect motorcycles to ensure mufflers and exhausts have not been illegally modified.
Photo Courtesy of Kevin Coughlin/Office of the Governor
“This is a quality of life and public safety issue that plagues our community for no logical reason other than to simply make noise,” Sen. Gounardes said.
With an increasing number of drivers making muffler and exhaust system modifications that increase noise and pollution levels, the legislation will protect both public health and the environment, Hochul noted. The new law not only creates a deterrent for vehicle owners to make these modifications with the newly increased fines, but it also deters repair shop owners from making these modifications. If repair shop owners willfully violate this legislation and install illegal vehicle equipment three times within 18 months, they risk losing their certificate of inspection stations and operating certificate. These measures will help prevent dangerous noise levels that can damage bystanders’ hearing, as well as decrease harmful emissions being released, according to the governor.
“Today, residents across the state can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they won’t be kept up at night by excessively loud mufflers and exhaust systems. This is a quality of life and public safety issue that plagues our community for no logical reason other than to simply make noise. Now that the SLEEP Act has been signed into law, we can remove these loud and polluting vehicles from our streets once and for all,” said State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn), the bill’s sponsor. “I’m grateful to Gov. Hochul for signing this bill so we can hold people accountable for their disruptive behavior.”
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, who co-sponsored the legislation, added, “My office receives numerous constituent complaints pertaining to noise, including residents in areas where illegal street drag racing takes place. Loud and excessive motor vehicle noise is not only annoying, it has become a quality of life issue which can contribute to hearing loss in exposed individuals of all ages.”
