just got busted for my exhaust being too loud today. the cop said the city ordinance is if you can hear it from 100 ft. away it's too loud. based on that, i have a few questions

1. any ideas on how i might be able to fight it? the ordinance is BS cuz you can hear pretty much any car away and i didn't gun my engine at all (just started from a stoplight like i normally do). if anybody has any suggestions, let me know.

2. is this gonna screw my insurance up? the cop said it was a non-moving violation, so i would think that wouldn't affect insurance, but who knows

court date is July, 27 (i'm 17...in OH you have to go in if you're under 18), so any advice before then would be awesome

Remember Cop said and City Ordinance can always differ when a cop needs to meet his quota. Let me start with I am 17 and have my share of tickets because cops prey off of youth.
Check with local laws for your exact ordinance. If you can, try to measure the sound at 100ft. This will really help you if it isnt a high level at 100 ft. Even bring up issues such as a harley being much louder then your exhaust, has the cop pulled a harley over for the ordinance?
Remember dont be scared in court, If you believe you are right, make your point heard. And dont fear insurance rates, it is a non moving, so no up in price.

Also, try to find from where the cop caught you to where you were. Is it really 100 ft? Did the cop measure :P

HighRev brought up some excellent points. I'm curious about the Harley thing now. They probabaly have a different law, but does anyone know?

Yeah, it is no pts, so don't worry and as he said, don't be intimidated in court. Plenty of trucks and bikes are a hell of alot louder than most sport mufflers. Find out the exact city ordinances, because alot of times, cops bs the fact. Usually it is set at a decible limit. Of course the cop doesn't carry a decible meter with him, so he said he heard it 100ft away. Bring up those points in court. He didn't measure the distance, and he didn't use a decible meter to measure the sound. If you can, get a decible meter and use it on your car and find out how loud it is and different distances, and use that in court as well. Good luck, I hate bs tickets.

luckly there's a decent load of older muscle cars around here that you can literally hear idling at stop lights 1/2 a mile away.

i may also say something about the fact that you can hear any car from 100 ft. away. i stood accross the street (more than 100 ft.) when my mom started the car this morning and i heard it, so theoretically under that law everyone should get a ticket. don't know if the judge will go for that one, though.

i've been to court before, so i'm not too nervous, and that's a good call on the distance thing...didn't think of that one before.

i'll let you guys know how it turns out

you should fight it definately. the cops a D/A and trying to give you a hard time.

It might help the ticket if you put a quieter muffler on it and had a mechanic sign a letter saying that the exhaust, or at least the muffler is back to stock. The case is more likely to be dismissed if you have already fixed the problem, regardless of whether or not you think it was justified.
BTW your car must be pretty loud to get the cops attention in the first place. Personally, I have found that a loud exhaust just invites unwanted police attention.
Quiet cars can get away with more speeding etc.

that's the thing...ths car has to last me for a long time so i never do stupid shit in it. race occaisonally, but it's a Toyota so a little hard driving once every month (if that) isn't gonna hurt it.

i'm not gonna say my car is quiet, but compared to other cars around here with moded exhausts it's nothing. hell...i drove up behind an SRT-4 yesterday and my car was barely louder than that thing.

funniest part was that when the guy handed me the ticket a older Monte Carlo or something like that drives by and it was twice as loud as my car...cop didn't even look up.

so yea...i'm definitely fighting this one

Good Luck Dude. I hope are advice helps.
I really want to start a website for people fighting traffic tickets, like fill it with information on how to fight it, even if getting off on a tecnicality (sp?)

Sorry to hear that, it sucks but I wouldn't worry about it, I'm surprised you even have a court date for this. About the Harley thing, there sound was actually trademarked (or patented or something) before the exhaust laws were in effect so when the laws where made, they were grandfathered in, hence legal.

I almost wished I had patented internet piracy before laws targeted it :(

hahaha, that's hilarious. Just a thought, as far as comparing it to trucks, harleys, or older muscle cars...different rules may apply to them, I know different emissions rules apply to them. An older car doesn't have emissions tests done if it is deemed a 'classic'...but then again it is limited in the number of miles it can be driven each year. Trucks have different/no emissions laws as well. I don't know if they would have different laws, but emissions and exhaust noise do go hand in hand...so...good luck

pewter...i have the court date because i'm 17. in Ohio if you're under 18 you have to go in for any ticket you get no matter what it is.

Igovert...good point on the classics/harleys, but i still have plenty of examples i can use. best one is the c5/z06 vette (not sure which one, but it's the latest model) that i heard idling at a stop light that was about 1/4 mile away. next there's the Dodge SRT-4 which sounds almost identical to my car (SRT has a slightly better tone, but it's the same volume). and finally the crotch-rockets. those things can be loud as hell too...will only bring that up if the previous two fail though.

o yes and a small side note that i found mildly amusing...cop spelled exHaust exaust on the ticket. not enough to get me off, but pretty funny

for those that are interested or have way too much time on their hands, here's the actual ordinance:


MENTOR CODE OF ORDINANCES
102.04
Maximum permissible sound levels by zoning designations (continued)
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to activities covered by the following
paragraphs of Section 102.03: (B) Construction; (D) Emergency Signaling Devices; nor
shall provisions of this Section apply to refuse collection vehicles.
102.05
Motor vehicle noise - operation of radios or other soundmaking devices
(A)
1. It shall be unlawful for any person operating or occupying a motor vehicle within
the City to operate or amplify the sound produced by a radio, tape player or other
soundmaking device within the motor vehicle so that the sound is:
a. audible at a distance of 100 feet or more from the motor vehicle; or
b. louder than necessary for the convenient hearing by persons inside the
vehicle in areas adjoining churches, schools or hospitals.
2. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any law enforcement motor
vehicle equipped with any communication device necessary in the performance
of law enforcement duties or to any emergency vehicle equipped with any
communication device necessary in the performance of any emergency
procedures.
3. The provisions of this section do not apply to motor vehicles used for business
or political purposes, which in the normal course of conducting such business use
soundmaking devices.
4. The provisions of this section do not apply to the noise made by a horn or other
warning device required or permitted by state law.
5. "Audible" shall mean any sound produced by a radio, tape player or other
mechanical or electronic soundmaking device, or instrument, from within the
interior or exterior of a motor vehicle, including sound produced by a portable
soundmaking device, that can be heard outside the vehicle by a person using his
normal hearing faculties, at a distance of 100 feet or more from the motor vehicle.

a few things i noticed:
1. no bikes or classic cars are exempt under this ordinance.
2. this might be more nitpicking than the judge will go for, but it says any mechanical or electronic soundmaking device. technically, the muffler doesn't make the sound...the engine does.
3. would it work to my advantage if the cop heard me when he was in another city and i was in his city when i was over 100 ft. away? because now that i think about it, the only time he was over 100 ft. away and he would have heard my car, he was on the other side of the city line. could this be used to my advantage?

another thing i'm thinking that could help my cause would be i could film a bunch of cars driving 100 ft. away from the camera and show that pretty much any car is audible from 100 ft. as of right now i can get fairly easily a stock civic, dodge caravan and trans am plus my car and with a few quick calls probably an SUV or two and if i get really lucky a bimmer. you guys think this would help at all?

the only time he was over 100 ft. away and he would have heard my car, he was on the other side of the city line. could this be used to my advantage?


another thing i'm thinking that could help my cause would be i could film a bunch of cars driving 100 ft. away from the camera and show that pretty much any car is audible from 100 ft. as of right now i can get fairly easily a stock civic, dodge caravan and trans am plus my car and with a few quick calls probably an SUV or two and if i get really lucky a bimmer. you guys think this would help at all?

First Part: Dont try jurisdiction (sp?) fights in court, this will just lead to the judge being less lenient with your punishment.

Second Part: Yes, go for it, as long as the cars are all stock.

Basicly anything you think will help most likely will. Just dont get cocky. Even speaking back harshly to a judge is like screaming fine me. Just in a very professional manner, state your facts, bring up issues of stock cars being loud, ect.

alright...i wasn't sure that jurisdiction thing would work out anyways because i was in the city and the cop wasn't so techically i supposedly broke the law when i was in the city.

i am gonna go for that video tape thing too...that should help.

Good Luck man, Please update us hopefully with success.

well between the judge not believing a damn thing i said and the fucking cop lying in the goddamn report i guess losing $53 isn't that bad.

judge went over the report the cop filed before i made my plea...cop said that he was parked 2 cars behind me at the light, yet my car was audible from 150 ft. away. so these two cars were each 75 ft. long?!

and then the judge made some comment to my mom (i was mildly pissed by this time) pretty much implying that i floored it at the light. this after i told the guy i started like i normally do.

and cops wonder why people run from them...god i hate the fucking legal system

sorry man!