Bill Text: NJ AR268 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges MVC to advertise and remind New Jersey motorists that use of motor vehicle exhaust system that produces excessive or unusual sound is illegal.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-08-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [AR268 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-AR268-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman BETTYLOU DECROCE
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Urges MVC to advertise and remind New Jersey motorists that use of motor vehicle exhaust system that produces excessive or unusual sound is illegal.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to advertise and remind New Jersey motorists that the use of a motor vehicle exhaust system that produces an excessive or unusual sound is illegal.
Whereas, One of the latest trends in custom car modifications involves removing portions of a car's exhaust system and adjusting the computer that regulates a car's fuel combustion to produce loud pops and flashes that fire and sound like gunshots coming from the car's exhaust system; and
Whereas, Some social media sites contain videos showing motor vehicle exhaust systems that a person has altered to mimic the sound of rapid gunfire using techniques called "straight piping" and "two-step" modification; and
Whereas, The gunfire-like sounds that these modified exhaust systems produce could possibly have dangerous, unintended consequences, including causing alarm or inciting panic to the public and the unnecessary mobilization of law enforcement personnel and equipment; and
Whereas, Further, the loud pops coming from motor vehicle tailpipes have the potential to trick a network of acoustic sensors that may be used by law enforcement to detect gunfire; and
Whereas, New Jersey statute, under R.S.39:3-69, prohibits a person from installing or using on the exhaust system of any motor vehicle any device which emits an audible sound unless authorized to do so by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC); and
Whereas, Further, under R.S.39:3-70, every motor vehicle having a combustion motor is required to be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and it is prohibited for a person to use a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar device on a motor vehicle upon a highway; and
Whereas, The fine for violating either of these statutes is an amount up to $25 per violation; and
Whereas, Due to instances involving the mimicked sound of gunfire coming from these modified exhaust systems, it is appropriate for the MVC to advertise and remind New Jersey motorists that the use of a motor vehicle exhaust system that produces an excessive or unusual sound is illegal; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully
urges the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to advertise
and remind New Jersey motorists that the use of a motor vehicle exhaust system
that produces an excessive or unusual sound is illegal.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Governor and to the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to advertise and remind New Jersey motorists that the use of a motor vehicle exhaust system that produces an excessive or unusual sound is illegal.
One of the latest trends in custom car modifications involves removing portions of a car's exhaust system and adjusting the computer that regulates a car's fuel combustion to produce loud pops and flashes that fire and sound like gunshots coming from the car's exhaust system. The gunfire-like sounds that these modified exhaust systems produce could possibly have dangerous, unintended consequences, including causing alarm or inciting panic to the public and the unnecessary mobilization of law enforcement personnel and equipment.
New Jersey law: (1) prohibits a person from installing or using on the exhaust system of any motor vehicle any device which emits an audible sound unless authorized to do so by the MVC; (2) requires every motor vehicle having a combustion motor to be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise; and (3) prohibits a person from using a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar device on a motor vehicle upon a highway.
