Excessive noise is a scientifically recognized environmental pollutant, which impacts health and well-being similarly to chemical agents, or air & water pollution.
Excessive noise is generated unnecessarily by many vehicles such as:
- Trucks engaging in a practice known as "compression release engine brake" (also called a "Jake brake"), which creates a low frequency, machine-gun like noise that transmits over long distances;
- Motorcycles exhaust systems that are designed or modified to emit deafening combustion noise for entirely self-serving reasons.
There was a federal regulation set by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1980 which mandated a maximum 83 decibel limit for bikes manufactured from 1983 onwards. But this noise legislation is too weak, and not enforced at all.