i got stopped by the rozzers .... again!!
this time he wanted to tell me my exhaust was "illegal" ?
he said to me after checking the car over and the engine running that its clearly louder than the original thus illegal.
how can he know the exhaust is louder than stock and at what revs do i have to proove it?
i have to say i am confused on this one based on the amount of noisy cars around these days and of course our little posse of straight thru exhaust owners.
some cars are louder than others from standard too like ferrari's?
does this cover imports?
is there actually a maximum noise limit for the road?
anyone got a clue?
loud exhausts?
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jungle-jim
- Posts: 2252
- Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:43 pm
- Location: naaaarwich
loud exhausts?
BIG POWER GO KART ENDURANCE CHAMPION 2007
There is complicated European law on noise limits, some of which the UK has not adopted. There is no formal UK noise limit for cars - we rely on a decision from a court as to what is excessive (see reg 97 below).
There are limits up to 75db for bikes, which can only be measured by approved devices (see the very complcated Reg 55 & EU directives)
This is wat the law says - but there are pages of it that I haven't reproduced here.
In simple terms, if a Cop thinks your car is too loud, he has to convince a court, preferably with a reading from a meter or other witnesses.
Firstly:
Regulation 97 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 provides for the avoidance of excessive noise from motor vehicles
No motor vehicle shall be used on a road in such manner as to cause any excessive noise which could have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care on the part of the driver .
BUT
Regulation 55 provides for the control of noise made by certain vehicles with three or more wheels. It states:
55(1) This regulation applies to every wheeled motor vehicle having at least three wheels and first used on or after 1st October 1983 which is
(a) a vehicle, not within sub-paragraph (b) or
There are limits up to 75db for bikes, which can only be measured by approved devices (see the very complcated Reg 55 & EU directives)
This is wat the law says - but there are pages of it that I haven't reproduced here.
In simple terms, if a Cop thinks your car is too loud, he has to convince a court, preferably with a reading from a meter or other witnesses.
Firstly:
Regulation 97 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 provides for the avoidance of excessive noise from motor vehicles
No motor vehicle shall be used on a road in such manner as to cause any excessive noise which could have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care on the part of the driver .
BUT
Regulation 55 provides for the control of noise made by certain vehicles with three or more wheels. It states:
55(1) This regulation applies to every wheeled motor vehicle having at least three wheels and first used on or after 1st October 1983 which is
(a) a vehicle, not within sub-paragraph (b) or
Bloody hell! That must have taken you ages to have typed that up 
120dB :lol: The same quoted volume as a Jet taking off from 200 feet!! Maybe not.
The gist of it, following conversations with local officers on the matter, is that it is discretionary Jim. There is not a single decibel meter owned by Norfolks Constabulary according to our police station and based on that and the 'discretionary' nature of the enforcement, if your exhaust is deemed too loud, then it most probably is. I believe I'm correct in saying that there is no actual specific volume that a vehicle cannot exceed.
You were clearly the loudest car at our impromptu noise testing session so that must tell you something mate. The authorities will only need to show that your modified car is louder than it 'should' be and then I would imagine you will be issued with a ticket to modify the car to acceptable levels.
A proper can of worms.
120dB :lol: The same quoted volume as a Jet taking off from 200 feet!! Maybe not.
The gist of it, following conversations with local officers on the matter, is that it is discretionary Jim. There is not a single decibel meter owned by Norfolks Constabulary according to our police station and based on that and the 'discretionary' nature of the enforcement, if your exhaust is deemed too loud, then it most probably is. I believe I'm correct in saying that there is no actual specific volume that a vehicle cannot exceed.
You were clearly the loudest car at our impromptu noise testing session so that must tell you something mate. The authorities will only need to show that your modified car is louder than it 'should' be and then I would imagine you will be issued with a ticket to modify the car to acceptable levels.
A proper can of worms.
[quote="stuartstaples"]Bloody hell! That must have taken you ages to have typed that up ]
:lol: Yeah something like that - had issues like this so asked my mum (works for norfolk constab) for the gumph :oops:
As Stu says it really is a grey area, which your unlikely ever to win in an argument - hence why i now run around with my bung in the Nur Spec :lol:
:lol: Yeah something like that - had issues like this so asked my mum (works for norfolk constab) for the gumph :oops:
As Stu says it really is a grey area, which your unlikely ever to win in an argument - hence why i now run around with my bung in the Nur Spec :lol:
I was cautioned in the Pulsar last year and the Officer also told me that the car was illegal as it was not the standard exhaust that the car was built with.
I tried to explain to him that this was not an arguement as many production cars are offered with aftermarket upgrades by dealers from new and that most aftermarket exhausts are advertised as being 'road legal' but he would not listen so i gave up. Soon after i put a larger silencer on.
Come and see me Jim and i will see what i can do to it.
I tried to explain to him that this was not an arguement as many production cars are offered with aftermarket upgrades by dealers from new and that most aftermarket exhausts are advertised as being 'road legal' but he would not listen so i gave up. Soon after i put a larger silencer on.
Come and see me Jim and i will see what i can do to it.
Authorised trader. Bespoke & direct fit exhaust/induction solutions, silicone hose specialist, Millers oils, Whiteline, EBC + much more. Find me at http://www.fast-eddys.biz
330hp Pulsar Gti-r, 153hp Metro and 185hp Smart Car!
330hp Pulsar Gti-r, 153hp Metro and 185hp Smart Car!
I got stopped just the same for this mate.
Im sorry but this is fuckin pathetic police being tossers again, im sure the majority of coppers are decent blokes who are just doing a good job but the bloke that stopped me was unreal, he decided he would read the police codebook thing out to me on exhausts it said;
A car must have a stock exhaust with no holes in it basically, so i asked him if the aftermarket exhuast manufactors was illegal?
I said what about Harley Davidson bikes etc?? They have stock exhuasts that are way louder than our cars?? He had no reply.
They spent nearly an hour with me on the side of the road in a town at about 8PM on a Friday night.... im sure there are better things for police to be doing.... like catching fuckin boy racers with
Im sorry but this is fuckin pathetic police being tossers again, im sure the majority of coppers are decent blokes who are just doing a good job but the bloke that stopped me was unreal, he decided he would read the police codebook thing out to me on exhausts it said;
A car must have a stock exhaust with no holes in it basically, so i asked him if the aftermarket exhuast manufactors was illegal?
I said what about Harley Davidson bikes etc?? They have stock exhuasts that are way louder than our cars?? He had no reply.
They spent nearly an hour with me on the side of the road in a town at about 8PM on a Friday night.... im sure there are better things for police to be doing.... like catching fuckin boy racers with
Runner Up Top Japanese Car 2007