City officials seem unwilling to drop the ticket despite the fact that the 911’s exhaust is unmodified
May 6, 2024 at 17:00
- A man driving a stock Porsche 911 ended up with an $800 fine over the sound from his exhaust.
- Despite arguing with the government over the issue he’s still on the hook for the violation.
- Enthusiasts with loud stock exhausts should take note as this isn’t the first similar occurrence.
Tickets are part of the territory of owning and enjoying an enthusiast vehicle for most but in New York, it’s getting harder to avoid them. New laws regarding noise pollution aimed at those with modified exhausts are also affecting those with stock exhaust systems. That’s the cold hard reality that one Porsche 911 owner experienced when an $800 ticket showed up in his mail.
Last year, the state implemented a law that installed numerous $35,000 noise cameras across the city. These cameras are designed to target individuals generating noise levels above 85 decibels. According to reports, the owner of the Porsche in question, a 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S equipped with a stock exhaust, briefly exceeded this limit by 5.4 decibels for less than two seconds. Despite the brief infraction, he received a ticket.
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The driver in question, known as Jerry, shared his experience with Road & Track regarding the situation. He admits to driving over the speed limit, traveling at 25 mph in a 35 mph zone. However, he insists that he wasn’t “wringing out” the 911. Rather, a video of the incident suggests that he only marginally triggered the system.
In the video, Jerry can be seen accelerating up to a stoplight, triggering the camera, which highlights his car in the process. The camera recorded a noise level of 90.4 decibels, and despite the brief duration, it was sufficient for Jerry to receive a ticket. Understandably, Jerry was reluctant to incur an $800 fine for this momentary infraction.
He says that despite a defense that highlighted how the 911 was stock and questioned the calibration of the camera, he’s still on the hook for the ticket. Ultimately, it’s hard to argue that he didn’t break the law, even momentarily. At the same time, should there not be an exception for a stock vehicle built and sold over a decade prior to this law going into effect?
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This is far from the first time this has happened either. Just last year, in California, a Hyundai Elantra N owner had to go to court over a similar noise violation for his stock exhaust. The lesson is clear: anyone with a loud exhaust, even if it’s stock, needs to be careful in places with these noise pollution laws.
