Noise Ordinances Plague New Hampshire

Some towns in New Hampshire are jumping on the band wagon to curtail noise coming from loud motorcycles. Boston Massachusetts tried that but has been ineffective in enforcing the strict noise ordinance there. Now, the town of North Hampton, New Hampshire has passed an ordinance setting the noise level at 80 decibels. The problem is the ordinance is preempted by state law which has set 106 decibels as acceptable. The North Hampton ordinance sets fines at $200-$500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for subsequent violations.

Offending the sensibilities of many riders, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) recently named Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Man of the Year, after he signed the very controversial SB 435 into law in California. SB 435 imposes the EPA regulated 80 decibel level and bans tampering with stock exhaust systems which must bear the EPA sticker.  Although the AMA defends its choice of Governor Schwarzenegger, citing the guidelines are for a person who profoundly impacted motorcycling in the year, many believe a positive impact on our lifestyle would be more appropriate. Why give recognition to somebody for a negative impact on motorcycling?

The noise issue will continue to divide riders and government agencies as well as divide members of the motorcycle community.  At the heart of the issue is what is a practical noise level, and how do you determine if a motorcycle complies?  The EPA sticker rule causes more problems for bikers and law enforcement than it solves and really does nothing to realistically solve the problem.

The 80 decibel level is applied to motorcycles, but many things including a telephone ring can exceed that level.  There is much more to this developing story to come including legal challenges and disobedience to the law. Stay tuned.

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