Florida Cracking Down On Boom-Blasting Vehicles

[bloodrayne]

Law Lowers The Boom On Noisy Auto Radios

Clearwater, Florida - Motorists inclined to share the high-decibel output of their pulsing subwoofers may want to control that impulse.

Gov. Jeb Bush last week signed into law a transportation package that muffles loud auto sound systems.

Starting July 1, police officers can fine drivers if they can hear their radios from 25 feet away, down from the current 100 feet.

The new law also allows officers to issue tickets for a seat belt violation alone, mandates signaling for lane changes and outlaws devices that enable people - other than emergency vehicle personnel - to change traffic signal lights from red to green from their cars.

State Rep. Greg Evers, R- Baker, one of the bill's sponsors, said law enforcement agencies requested the 25-foot restriction out of public safety concerns.

``When you can't hear outside noises such as sirens from your vehicle, then you become a detriment to public safety,'' said Hillsborough County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Harrison. ``Specifically, public service vehicles that are responding to a critical condition.''

News of the tightened noise restrictions wasn't exactly music to the ears of local custom auto shops specializing in loud sound systems. To them, the 25-foot restriction is absurd.

``You can hear a person talking from 25 feet away,'' said Mike Mills, owner of Auto Audio Systems Inc. in Palm Harbor. ``Twenty-five feet is absolutely ridiculous. If I sneeze or talk 25 feet away, I should get a ticket, too.''

Mills also doesn't buy the logic behind the tougher law.

To him, police should also look at luxury car manufacturers which pride themselves on how well their cars reduce outside noise when windows are rolled up.

``They purposely make it so quiet drivers can't hear ... an ambulance until it's on top of them,'' Mills said. ``That's simply no different from having a stereo on.''

Will Alfonso, a custom fabricator at Divine Sounds in Tampa, agreed. ``People don't like boom cars going around; it doesn't matter how low it is. They think the 25-feet rule is going to fix it? If you're being a nuisance, police will give you a ticket just to get you moving along.''

Although system installers aren't happy about the law, they're not worried about its effect on their businesses.

``They're going to resist any type of stupid law like that,'' Mills said. ``Your car is one of the very few places where you can hear music ... how loud you want it. You're going down the road not hurting anybody.''

Kevin Gallant, 30, of Palm Harbor, spent roughly $5,000 to have one of these sound systems - plus a DVD player, game port adapters, television screen, and more - installed in his car, and doesn't see himself turning it off because of the new law.

``I wouldn't expect people to stop getting these systems if you make the restriction two feet away,'' Gallant said.

Still, choosing to not follow the law is a $70 risk.

Sgt. Mac McMullen of the Pinellas County Sheriff's office said deputies have issued 82 citations this year. Harrison said Hillsborough has only issued 15.

Both spokesmen said it is up to their deputies' discretion whether to issue a ticket.

Robert Zelski, clinical instructor in the audiology program at the University of South Florida, said public safety won't be the only beneficiary of this law.

If it results in system owners turning down the volume, it will give their ears a badly needed break, too.

Most of these systems can amplify sound to 155 decibels. A baby's cry is 119 decibels, while a jet engine is about 140 decibels, Mills said.

An average stereo owner will listen at about 120 decibels.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines state that a person exposed to anything over 90 decibels should be concerned about hearing loss.

``Hypothetically, if a system is played at 110 decibels, the guidelines state you should not be exposed to that sound level beyond a half-hour a day,'' Zelski said.

``If you're in your car for more than that, you're at risk for hearing loss,'' he said.

As for those exposed to the music outside the car, Zelski said they need not worry. Damage occurs only when exposure occurs over a sustained period of time.

``You're probably not at risk, but it is annoying,'' he said.

[urgeok]

but carjacking is still perfectly ok ...