More ‘noise cameras’ to fight loud cars across city

New York City is planning to expand its use of “noise cameras” to crack down on drivers who use loud, illegally modified mufflers.

The sound tracking pilot program, which started in June 2021 and now employs only one camera to track vehicular noise, will expand with an additional seven cameras by the end of the year, according to Beth DeFalco, a deputy commissioner with the Department of Environmental Protection.

The DEP, which is running the program, gets roughly 45,000 noise complaints a year.

“It’s the most of any category that we get, and many of those issues are the result of illegally modified mufflers,” DeFalco said during a press conference hosted by Mayor Adams’ Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks. “The overall plan is to have as many as 100 [noise cameras] by 2028.”

The devices work by pairing a camera with a sound meter, which can pick up any sounds over 85 decibels that are emitted within 50 feet.

“They are able to zoom in and get the license plate of the vehicle, and then we’re able to issue a summons,” DeFalco said. “Just for some context, 85 decibels is about as loud as a lawn mower, which is pretty loud if you’re trying to sleep.”

Fines for violators are pretty steep. A first-offense summons carries a fine of $800. A second offense costs $1,700 and every offense after that is $2,500.

Under the SLEEP Act, which went into effect last year, repair shops that make illegal muffler modifications can also face penalties.

“The objective here is not to write summonses, it’s to correct behavior,” Banks said. “They are steep, and I would imagine that most people would want to avoid those summonses.”