The end of the road for noisy boy racers....

Grimreaper666

......and about bloody time too, Gardai are using sound level equipment to target boy racers whose exhausts are too loud, I heard it on the radio this evening. It used to be like Mondello Park on the road by my house from 11 to 3 in the mornings. Good riddance I say.

Crasp

fantastic news.


I'm all up for a loud exhaust on a nice bike, but driving it on late at night is plain ignorant.

Plug

" ahh lad me dock civics back box sounds da bee's knees, I'm gettin an extra 20 brake"

Im delighted as well, I don't mind slightly loud ones but I hate extremely loud ones. Flying across the ring road revving the crap out of cars waking me up.

galwaytt

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They can have all the dB meter's they like, but legally it isn't worth diddly.

If you have what they call a 'loud' exhaust, yet, say it's TuV, CE, or BS stamped, and say, and NCT for it as well, then 'see you in court' as the exhaust is legit.

Using dB meters in a manner not in keeping with EU test requirements for measurement of sound on vehicles is also a non-runner, as the result is not valid.

Not forgetting that it's not dB that offends at all, but Hz : witness: every body (most) like a nice grumbly V8 or Harley, but hates mopeds, (just keeping it simple, folks, stay with me.........)....yet the moped can be 100% legal, and the H-D, well, not. I say this as I have a two-stroke bike, and a H-D.........

Ignorance (..of physics, science, why), is no defence, imho, by the State.......

Drummerboy08

More sh1te from the greens.

Crasp

galwaytt wrote: »

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They can have all the dB meter's they like, but legally it isn't worth diddly.

If you have what they call a 'loud' exhaust, yet, say it's TuV, CE, or BS stamped, and say, and NCT for it as well, then 'see you in court' as the exhaust is legit.

Using dB meters in a manner not in keeping with EU test requirements for measurement of sound on vehicles is also a non-runner, as the result is not valid.

Not forgetting that it's not dB that offends at all, but Hz : witness: every body (most) like a nice grumbly V8 or Harley, but hates mopeds, (just keeping it simple, folks, stay with me.........)....yet the moped can be 100% legal, and the H-D, well, not. I say this as I have a two-stroke bike, and a H-D.........

Ignorance (..of physics, science, why), is no defence, imho, by the State.......

tbh The legal limit is pretty high! not complaining, but the modern supermoto can be heard a mile away even with the baffles in!

mullingar

I dont think there is anything in the statute book about exhaust db's

The only legal link is the NCT. But the NCT is only valid on the day, so the following day the silencers can be removed and the car is still 100% legal even if the exhaust is upto 200db's (Jet engine on take off)

Atlantic Dawn

They should just ban loud exhausts on cars below 3 litre, this would remove 99% of them.

kumate_champ07

I cringe when I hear an extremely loud exaust with a tiny little engine struggling to get to 60 in less than 14seconds!

Its like wearing shoulder pads under your shirt

Plug

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

They should just ban loud exhausts on cars below 3 litre, this would remove 99% of them.

Or maybe a db/engine size ratio excluding motorbikes. A 3.2 litre straight 6 M3 engine VS a 1 litre with a massive exhaust. I know which one would have to be silenced!

Del2005

Does "Not for road use" even apply here since we don't have any sound law?

x in the city

feel sorry for the stupid muppets driving around cork city weekend nights (and every other city)...

they need to get their kicks now from the 20 sub woofers in the boot

wersal gummage

mullingar wrote: »

The only legal link is the NCT. But the NCT is only valid on the day, so the following day the silencers can be removed and the car is still 100% legal even if the exhaust is upto 200db's (Jet engine on take off)

garbage i'm afraid.

NCT does not make a car '100% legal' - or any % legal. on that basis you could pass your NCT with the bare minimum thread on your tyres and a few weeks later, when they have worn below the limit, you tell the Gard - oh its ok, my car is '100% legal' because i have a sticker on my window saying my car had a test done in the past......

about time they got these dirt boxes off the road. love if the Gards were given the power to actually compact them.

KamiKazi

Hope they leave bikes alone, my bike sets off car alarms

Absurdum

I'd prefer if they went after real criminals, you people are getting too old.

Rockery Woman

Ha!!!! My mates exhaust fell apart (hes 33 married father of 2 and drives a family saloon not a boy racer type at all) and anything like the noise of it talking loads of decibels here - woke up his whole estate every morning for a week before he got a new one!:D

But what fascinated me was his little 3 year old son. He absolutely loved the sound of his rattly growly boy racer type exhaust and squealed with delight when out for a spin with Daddy!!

Boys..... boy racers....... they grow up eventually - but the 3 year old kid is in all of em!!!!:D

Our man in Havana

galwaytt wrote: »

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They can have all the dB meter's they like, but legally it isn't worth diddly.

If you have what they call a 'loud' exhaust, yet, say it's TuV, CE, or BS stamped, and say, and NCT for it as well, then 'see you in court' as the exhaust is legit.

Using dB meters in a manner not in keeping with EU test requirements for measurement of sound on vehicles is also a non-runner, as the result is not valid.

Not forgetting that it's not dB that offends at all, but Hz : witness: every body (most) like a nice grumbly V8 or Harley, but hates mopeds, (just keeping it simple, folks, stay with me.........)....yet the moped can be 100% legal, and the H-D, well, not. I say this as I have a two-stroke bike, and a H-D.........

Ignorance (..of physics, science, why), is no defence, imho, by the State.......

I agree with you 100%. I doubt many of the victims of this will have the resources to fight them.

galwaytt

Haddockman wrote: »

I agree with you 100%. I doubt many of the victims of this will have the resources to fight them.

That's the problem; people will be targeted, and effectively intimidated into 'compliance', just for a quiet (sic) life :rolleyes:, and because they won't have the resources (read: €€ ) to fight it. There's nothing 'Just' about a system that does that, tbh.

Gary ITR

Haddockman wrote: »

I agree with you 100%. I doubt many of the victims of this will have the resources to fight them.

I'll fight it, I guarantee you that, they'd have to kill me before I'd take my exhaust off. My car is LOUD at high revs but if I take it handy as I usually do in built up areas it's fairly quiet.

mullingar

Onkle wrote: »

I'll fight it, I guarantee you that, they'd have to kill me before I'd take my exhaust off. My car is LOUD at high revs but if I take it handy as I usually do in built up areas it's fairly quiet.

I hope the car is worthy of the exhaust and it's not on some sh1t box!

I hate little sh1t boxes with standard basic engines < 1.6l fitted with so called performance exhausts, then they are driven so hard they are advertising to the world that they only have a tiny engine.

IMO, only 6 and 8 cylinder engines deserve these exhausts as they can sound fab

corktina

thats my Cortina off the road then...Ive tried bigger silencers to quiet it down but they dont seem to work

knifey_spoonie

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

They should just ban loud exhausts on cars below 3 litre, this would remove 99% of them.

Awh, but mines 2998 CC, damm you:D:D.

I don't think it should be about the loud exhausts, its about the fool who's driving it. My car has a blitz nur spec with the second cat removed, but it i drive it normally IE changing gears at the right rev's. Its not a whole lot louder than most cars.

mullingar

@ Corktina

Thats a rare bus you have there, A GT!

@ knidey-spooney

2998 cc here too!
What you got?

E39MSport

Grimreaper666 wrote: »

......and about bloody time too, Gardai are using sound level equipment to target boy racers whose exhausts are too loud, I heard it on the radio this evening. It used to be like Mondello Park on the road by my house from 11 to 3 in the mornings. Good riddance I say.

Still leaves the 'racer' in noisy boy racers though. I'd rather see them off the road rather than quietened down.

djimi

Will they be using the same equipment to get mopeds and standard road bikes off the road too? Many bikes have exhausts as loud if not louder than "boy racer" cars.

Im not defending muppets who put stupidly loud exhausts on small engined cars; I think its as ridiculous as everyone else does, but if they are going to try and enforce a law about sound levels then they will have to do so across all vehicles.

CreepingDeath

galwaytt wrote: »

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They can have all the dB meter's they like, but legally it isn't worth diddly.

I imagine they can do people for noise pollution / environmental laws, as opposed to motor laws.

Everyone quite legally has a car horn.
But that doesn't mean you can lean on it at 2am in a residential estate.

bongi69

Does nobody have double glazing???
There's a main road about 50-60 meters from the house with the luas running beside it for good measure, and the M50 about 150 meters down the road.

If the windows are open at night (mostly in the summer), I can hear boy racers, but I sleep like a log so its not a problem when I'm sleeping, and when the windows are closed I hear nothing.

I'm with the seeming majority on this. Car's that are deserving should have, nothing is funnier than a Micra with a drain pipe at the back. Or as a mate of mine says, the size of a boy racers exhaust is inversely proportional to the size of his mickey.

ted1

they could
probably get you on a non motoring charge like disturbing the peace.

mullingar

Yes, these feckin exhausts can be penalised under the " Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. Section 108"

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1992/en/act/pub/0007/sec0108.html

Main EPA Act 1992 is here:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1992/en/act/pub/0007/index.html#zza7y1992

Mikros

galwaytt wrote: »

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They can have all the dB meter's they like, but legally it isn't worth diddly.

If you have what they call a 'loud' exhaust, yet, say it's TuV, CE, or BS stamped, and say, and NCT for it as well, then 'see you in court' as the exhaust is legit.

Well, the EU regulations and type approval for vehicle noise emissions is only 74dB for a passenger car. Now these regulations havn't being transposed into Irish law yet, but a court could still take them into account when interpreting the Irish law that does exist. This is contained in the Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 which doesn't set a limit but says "reducing to a reasonable level the noise caused by the escape of exhaust gases from the engine". The NCT has decided this reasonable level is 99dB.

So if a measurement of the sound of your exhaust is taken (in accordance with the EU testing regulations which are not much more complicated than point a type approved sound meter at the exhaust at certain distances), and the reading is above >99dB, I'd say legally it is worth diddly squat, because by any standard it is above a "reasonable" level. I don't think you would have much luck in court fighting it.

I wonder how it will be implemented, I've only ever had one loud exhaust on a car, and I loved it



was a stainless cat back system, quite loud really, when she was cold and was started in the morning there was an initial increase in dbs as the she'd go to above idle at startup. Wasn't too bad though. I'd defo consider getting a sports back box in the future if getting one fitted was less than the cost of a pattern part for the ZT.

Absurdum

RoverJames wrote: »

I'd defo consider getting a sports back box in the future

oh no you won't, you'll get a quiet little eco-friendly car or else you'll be fined *furious finger-wagging*

corktina

mullingar wrote: »

@ Corktina

Thats a rare bus you have there, A GT!

@ knidey-spooney

2998 cc here too!
What you got?

its a 2.8...or at least it used to be...:cool:

Gary ITR

mullingar wrote: »

I hope the car is worthy of the exhaust and it's not on some sh1t box!

I think it's worthy of an exhaust, it has a Buddy Club Pro Spec exhaust so it's not some halfords or ebay rubbish that's been welded on, it's made for my type of car and I also have before and after dyno figures. The car is going to start seeing the track very soon so I don't fancy having to remove my exhaust after each track day because there are idiots out there who don't know how to drive responsibly

Chippy01

KamiKazi wrote: »

Hope they leave bikes alone, my bike sets off car alarms

Yours too? :rolleyes:
I consider my pipes as a free car alarm testing service....;)

barney 20v

In fairness i find loud motorbikes of all sizes to be far more common around my area than loud "boy racers" type cars. i have never heard of or seen a biker getting done for excessive noise etc.. Hgvs are just as big a problem but they are not being stopped or targeted.. btw i live in rural Co Wexford and i drive a totally standard car so no bias!

MagicSean

KamiKazi wrote: »

Hope they leave bikes alone, my bike sets off car alarms

Wow. That's so cool.

galwaytt wrote: »

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They can have all the dB meter's they like, but legally it isn't worth diddly.

If you have what they call a 'loud' exhaust, yet, say it's TuV, CE, or BS stamped, and say, and NCT for it as well, then 'see you in court' as the exhaust is legit.

Using dB meters in a manner not in keeping with EU test requirements for measurement of sound on vehicles is also a non-runner, as the result is not valid.

Not forgetting that it's not dB that offends at all, but Hz : witness: every body (most) like a nice grumbly V8 or Harley, but hates mopeds, (just keeping it simple, folks, stay with me.........)....yet the moped can be 100% legal, and the H-D, well, not. I say this as I have a two-stroke bike, and a H-D.........

Ignorance (..of physics, science, why), is no defence, imho, by the State.......

mullingar wrote: »

I dont think there is anything in the statute book about exhaust db's

The only legal link is the NCT. But the NCT is only valid on the day, so the following day the silencers can be removed and the car is still 100% legal even if the exhaust is upto 200db's (Jet engine on take off)

Surely they can just bring in new legislation. The Road Traffic Acts are ammended very frequently.

KamiKazi

k_mac wrote: »

Wow. That's so cool.

Thanks man.

Your approval means so much to me.

Atomic Pineapple

This was supposed to be implemented months ago!

What radio station was it?

Targeting loud exhausts is not the way to go as many cars can have loud exhausts and be driven maturely without causing a nuisance in built up areas.

The main issue is the idiots racing up and down towns late at night. Targeting loud exhausts will not eliminate this.

But as ever the authorities take the easiest option, the one that allows them to unfairly target all without the need to differentiate from the actual idiots causing the issues, the one that keeps the general public happy without actual targeting the cause of the issue.

Testament1

mullingar wrote: »

IMO, only 6 and 8 cylinder engines deserve these exhausts as they can sound fab

Wouldnt agree with that myself. Some 4 cylinders can sound good too. For example Subarus boxer engines sound great, well to these ears anyway.

Muckie

Can't beat the boxer rumble from a Subaru

Tefral

Mikros wrote: »

Well, the EU regulations and type approval for vehicle noise emissions is only 74dB for a passenger car. Now these regulations havn't being transposed into Irish law yet,

Mikros, your wrong their mate, they were transposed into Irish law with EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (PASSENGER CAR ENTRY INTO SERVICE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2008.

No passenger car can exceed 74dB if its a petrol or a 75dB if its a diesel.

These laws cannot be retrospectively applied to older than 2008 so thats where the Construction, Equipment and use of Vehicles regulations 1963 comes into play.. none of these garda decibel tests at the side of the road will stand up in court if you know what your talking about...

mullingar wrote: »

I dont think there is anything in the statute book about exhaust db's

The only legal link is the NCT. But the NCT is only valid on the day, so the following day the silencers can be removed and the car is still 100% legal even if the exhaust is upto 200db's (Jet engine on take off)

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (PASSENGER CAR ENTRY INTO SERVICE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2008.

No passenger car can exceed 74dB if its a petrol or a 75dB if its a diesel.

ianobrien

So what's going to happen to the "older" performance cars? You know, the ones that breathe through Webers and don't have catalytic converters in the exhausts?

The old Escort at home is running with a (factory fit) 1300GT engine with a 1600GT/Mexico hybrid exhaust. It's all factory, but at 5k rpm plus it's not quiet, especially with the Weber at full throttle....

Tefral

ianobrien wrote: »

So what's going to happen to the "older" performance cars? You know, the ones that breathe through Webers and don't have catalytic converters in the exhausts?

The old Escort at home is running with a (factory fit) 1300GT engine with a 1600GT/Mexico hybrid exhaust. It's all factory, but at 5k rpm plus it's not quiet, especially with the Weber at full throttle....

I dont know of any guard that would do a classic car, the types that will be targeted would usually be the white imports etc, owners wearing hats etc etc...

kincsem

I feel sad for the young kids with their 15 year old, 1200cc cars, white, body kit, big exhaust, powder puff engine. They are only advertising their lack of status.

Del2005

djimi wrote: »

Will they be using the same equipment to get mopeds and standard road bikes off the road too? Many bikes have exhausts as loud if not louder than "boy racer" cars.

Im not defending muppets who put stupidly loud exhausts on small engined cars; I think its as ridiculous as everyone else does, but if they are going to try and enforce a law about sound levels then they will have to do so across all vehicles.

mullingar wrote: »

Yes, these feckin exhausts can be penalised under the " Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. Section 108"

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1992/en/act/pub/0007/sec0108.html

Main EPA Act 1992 is here:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1992/en/act/pub/0007/index.html#zza7y1992

If the Gardaí have no power to get a home owner to turn down loud music at 3am in the morning how are they going to enforce this?

Mikros wrote: »

Well, the EU regulations and type approval for vehicle noise emissions is only 74dB for a passenger car. Now these regulations havn't being transposed into Irish law yet, but a court could still take them into account when interpreting the Irish law that does exist. This is contained in the Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 which doesn't set a limit but says "reducing to a reasonable level the noise caused by the escape of exhaust gases from the engine". The NCT has decided this reasonable level is 99dB.

So if a measurement of the sound of your exhaust is taken (in accordance with the EU testing regulations which are not much more complicated than point a type approved sound meter at the exhaust at certain distances), and the reading is above >99dB, I'd say legally it is worth diddly squat, because by any standard it is above a "reasonable" level. I don't think you would have much luck in court fighting it.

There is a procedure for measuring the dB of a vehicle. A Garda at the side of the road, even if they knew how to, couldn't do it correctly.

bmw535d

Del2005 wrote: »

If the Gardaí have no power to get a home owner to turn down loud music at 3am in the morning how are they going to enforce this?




There is a procedure for measuring the dB of a vehicle. A Garda at the side of the road, even if they knew how to, couldn't do it correctly.

+1 surely you could argue in court that half the db was from background noises etc at the side of the road.