By Adam Yoshikawa
Staff Writer
Car enthusiasts are blowing a fuse about the new law passed this year in, and only in California.
The new law, California Assembly Bill 1824, was passed this January. It targets loud motor-vehicle exhaust systems that are built and added by its owners.
No one, under the new passed law, can modify their exhaust system of a vehicle in order to amplify the noise emitted by the motor. Motor vehicles weighing under 6,000 lbs, other than motorcycles, cannot have a sound level over 95 A-weighted decibels, according to Vehicle Code 21751.
In other words, all cars and motor vehicles, except motorcycles in California, must be equipped with a muffler. Any exhaust modifications designed to increase the exhaust noise must not exceed 95 dBA.
“I don’t think [AB 1824] is necessary, but I get people’s perspective on cars being loud,” said mechanical engineering sophomore Kendall Ayson. “I don’t really hear too many loud [cars], but since this law has passed, I can see how it can annoy [modified car owners].”
Ninety five dBA is an equivalent of the sound of a subway train around 200 feet away or a blender three feet away, and constant noise at that level can cause serious pain or hearing loss, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration website.
Police officers will be able to determine the loudness of an exhaust based off their own judgment, instead of using a decibel meter, according to the bill.
California has a large car community that has grown over the last five decades with hundreds of car clubs according to California Car Clubs. California Car Clubs is an online site listing many different types of car clubs in California.
The car scene contains all types of cars ranging from muscle cars, lowriders, foreign, domestic and classic cars, which are being affected by this new California law.
“I feel like they should not [keep AB 1824], especially since I personally like the sound of revving cars,” software engineering freshman Sebastian Alvarez said.
Alvarez added that he could see why some people find loud exhausts disturbing.
“I have heard cars with really customized exhausts and it just sounds really loud, especially when you’re at home and you hear a car just buzzing through the street,” Alvarez continued.
In 2018 and the years before, vehicles in California that violated this law would be issued a “fix it” ticket that enable drivers to fix their vehicle’s exhaust system and provide proof within 30 days to avoid paying the fine, according to the bill.
However, according to the California court’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules, all California registered vehicles, with an exception to motorcycles, must obey this law or face an immediate citation of at least $25 and as much as $1000.
Petitions on Change.org have been building steam with one petition titled “Nullify Fines for loud mufflers: AB 1824 in California.” The petition had 259,839 signatures on Feb. 10 out of its requested 300,000.
This petition was started on Dec. 28 and has hopes of revoking the new law, believing this new law is “wasting law enforcement resources,” according to the petition website.
Car enthusiasts are wishing the law will be revoked so they may drive without having to look constantly over their shoulder.
“I think the law on modified cars should happen, but only for very loud cars. For example, going down the street at a normal speed shouldn’t sound like gunshots,” said criminal law senior Danny Nguyen.
Many car builders learn how to modify their cars from YouTube. Some of them are technicians who put a lot of time, effort, sweat and love into their cars.
BMW Weatherford technician Arthur Young has a BMW that has come a long way from its stock version and has worked years on building it from its original state.
Young first learned how to modify his car from YouTube and later took classes to become a car technician. He is a target for a ticket ,considering the new law and exhaust systems. Yet, now he may have to undo years of work.
“It’s a very unfair law considering they’re grouping enthusiasts and inconsiderate people together,” Young said.
