Noise Off believes the most cost effective and
practical means of combating the problem of noisy exhausts is to be found, in
part, in the Ministry for Transport Safety’s Yellow Draft for Vehicle Equipment
Rule 3201, the existing Transport Regulations and the introduction of the
proposed objective test. This would require:
a.All
motor vehicles (cars) to be fitted with an exhaust system that is in good
working order and that reduces the noise from the vehicle’s exhaust effectively
and that does not exceed a stationary vehicle noise test of 90
dB(A) (decibels) (as
applies in Australia);
b. That the level of noise from an exhaust system
that is not the motor vehicle manufacturer’s original equipment must be less
than or similar to the original exhaust system;
c. That all vehicles registered in New Zealand for
the first time must not exceed a drive-by standard of 76
dB(A)
(as applies in Australia)
Noise Off’s recommendation for a subjective test of
“less than or similar to” the manufacturer’s original equipment will permit
small increases in noise which may result from non-original equipment being
fitted. Our proposal also puts in place maximum objective noise levels for
both stationary tests and drive-by tests. The reason for this is two fold:
1. To give an objective standard that can be applied
if there is any argument over the subjective testing of motor vehicles;
2. To stop manufacturers of the original equipment
supplying “sports exhausts” that would exceed the objective noise levels.
Noise Off is of the opinion that the current
subjective test applied to modified exhausts of “noticeably and significantly
louder” is at the heart of the noise problem. The current test permits a
substantial increase in noise from the manufacturer’s original equipment but
without any objective criteria as to what level of increase is acceptable.
The only justification that the Ministry of
Transport could give to the Regulations Review Committee for the introduction of
the “noticeably and significantly” louder test as law was that it would permit
non-original equipment to be fitted to cars that needed exhaust repairs thereby
keeping the cost of repairs down.
Noise Off believes that all repairs and replacements
of exhausts using non-original equipment can be effected without having to
increase the noise level over the original equipment.
HOW DOES THIS POLICY AFFECT CAR
ENTHUSIASTS
Noise Off’s recommended policy recognises that car
enthusiasts wish to enhance their motor vehicles with modified exhausts.
Noise Off’s policy does not prohibit the modification of the exhaust but ensures
that the noise output is the same or similar to the original equipment.
This may permit a small increase in noise over the original exhaust system but
in no case louder than 90 dB(A)
(decibels).
Noise Off does not want car enthusiasts to stop
having fun modifying their motor vehicles but Noise Off can see no possible
public benefit in permitting motor vehicles to be modified to noise levels that
are damaging to the public health.
Many people have asked Noise Off why modification of
exhausts are permitted at all; as surely the easiest way of fixing the problem
would be not to allow any modification. Whilst we have sympathy with that
view we appreciate the desire of car enthusiasts to modify their vehicle
equipment so long as the noise output is similar to the original equipment.
