You are reading

Queens Lawmakers Introduce Bill That Would Double Fines for Loud Vehicles

A red sports car spitting flames from an exhaust (Photo: Oscar Sutton via Unsplash)

May 10, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

More than a dozen councilmembers– including three from Queens–have introduced legislation that would ramp up fines for drivers of noisy vehicles.

The bill—sponsored by 17 councilmembers including Queens representatives Sandra Ung, Linda Lee and Lynn C. Schulman—would double the existing penalties for motorists who drive with loud exhausts or excessively honk their horns. Fines for drivers using illegal sound devices on their vehicles would also be increased two-fold.

The legislation aims to tackle noise pollution by targeting disorderly drivers generating ear-splitting sounds. Minimum fines would start at $300 and climb as high as $6,000 for repeat offenders.

Ung, who represents District 20 in Flushing, said that hiking the fines would send a message that unruly behavior by motorists will not be tolerated.

“Drivers who make illegal and excessively loud retrofits to their vehicles and then speed through our communities late at night have no business on our streets,” Ung said.

“Excessive noise isn’t just a quality-of-life nuisance, it also causes serious health issues due to stress and loss of sleep, as well as negatively impacts our children.”

Queens councilmembers Sandra Ung and Linda Lee

Queens councilmembers Sandra Ung (L) and Linda Lee (R) have co-introduced legislation that would increase fines for drivers of noisy vehicles. (Photos: NYC Council and Lee for NYC Council)

The lawmakers, citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said that excessive noise can cause countless other adverse health effects including high blood pressure, speech interference and hearing loss.

Under the legislation, drivers whose exhausts or mufflers can be heard more than 150 feet away would be hit with a civil penalty of up to $1,050 for a first offense – up from $525 — increasing to as much as $3,150 for a third violation.

Drivers who honk their horns for reasons other than an emergency will also be targeted with a fine of up to $2,000 for a first offense – up from $1,000 — to a maximum of $6,000 for a third violation.

Lastly, drivers using air horns installed on a vehicle could be hit with fines up to $3,950 for multiple violations.

The lawmakers say that their legislation complements the 2021 passage of the New York State SLEEP Act, which raised the penalties for auto shops that perform any illegal modifications of mufflers and exhaust systems that allow cars and motorcycles to become noisier.

Lee said that these laws seek to bring some peace and quiet back to neighborhoods.

“Excessive and obnoxious vehicle noise is the bane of families’ existence across Eastern Queens,” said Lee, who represents District 23.

“These vehicles and their drivers are causing real harm to our environment, health, and overall quality of life.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

NYC home prices rise 10% in early 2025, with Manhattan leading and Malba ranking highest in Queens: report

Apr. 29, 2025 By Ethan Marshall

The median sale price across New York City rose 10% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, from around $698,000 last year to $768,000 this year, according to a report by the real estate database site PropertyShark. Several Manhattan neighborhoods had the most significant increases over this period of time among the boroughs included in the study (Staten Island is not included), from $999,000 in 2024 to $1.15 million in 2025.

Briarwood cop charged with allegedly sexting undercover officer posing as 14-year-old girl: DA

An off-duty NYPD cop from Briarwood was arrested on Thursday morning and booked at the 102nd Precinct in South Ozone Park for allegedly sending sexually explicit content via an online app to an undercover officer posing online as a 14-year-old girl.

Police Officer Travis DeSouza, 35, of Van Wyck Expressway, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on the night of April 24 on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, official misconduct, and other related crimes, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday.