Georgia Exhaust Noise Bill Could Impact Enthusiasts
If you’ve read our Georgia Emissions for Car Enthusiasts blog post you know between state and federal laws there are currently a lot of abstract language about how legal it is to modify your exhaust. Many Atlanta area car enthusiasts have been pulled over or even given a ticket for modified exhaust.
A new Georgia state bill, HB 185, was recently introduced that many hope will protect car enthusiasts. The bill seeks to eliminate the vague language that currently exists and replace it with a objective test on whether a cars exhaust is legal.
No person can sell, alter, or install a muffler which “causes excessive or unusual noise.”
Current Georgia state law
The new bill would establish a 95 decibel limit for the sale, use or installation of an aftermarket exhaust. The bill would establish this as an enforcement standard.
The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufactures Association) action network produced a list of reasons they support this new bill in Georgia.
H.B. 185 supplies inspectors with an enforcement standard, replacing a system that relies on subjective judgments on whether an exhaust system amplifies the noise emitted by the motor vehicle.
H.B. 185 recognizes that the best way to address exhaust noise is by establishing a fair and reasonable exhaust noise decibel limit.
H.B. 185 recognizes the fact that aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to make vehicles run more efficiently without increasing emissions.
H.B. 185 represents a real effort by legislators and hobbyists to enact reasonable legislation by allowing factory exhaust systems to be replaced with more durable, better performing options.
H.B. 185 recognizes that aftermarket exhaust systems offer increased performance, which can make a vehicle safer by improving its ability to merge, pass, travel uphill, etc.
https://www.semasan.com/legislative-alerts/georgia/georgia-introduces-bill-protect-enthusiasts-unfair-exhaust-noise
As an enthusiast if you are interested in supporting this new measure, SEMA Action Network recommends you email lawmakers and let them know you support responsible car modifications.
ShiftAtlanta certainly supports measures like this that help provide clear rules for our car community. We also think it provides law enforcement the opportunity and tools to focus their time and effort on safety issues in the community rather than subjective ones.
