Hawaii Reintroduces Bill to Protect Enthusiasts from Unfair Exhaust Noise Citations

DON’T DELAY!  Please contact the members of the Senate Committees on Transportation and Judiciary immediately to request support for S.B. 376:
 

You may use the following points in your message:
 

  • S.B. 376 supplies inspectors with an enforcement standard, replacing a system that relies on subjective judgments on whether an exhaust system amplifies the noise emitted by the motor vehicle.  
     
  • S.B. 376 recognizes that the best way to address this issue is by establishing a fair and reasonable exhaust noise decibel limit.
     
  • S.B. 376 recognizes the fact that aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to make vehicles run more efficiently without increasing emissions.
     
  • S.B. 376 represents a real effort by legislators and hobbyists to enact reasonable legislation by allowing factory exhaust systems to be replaced with more durable, better performing options.  
     
  • S.B. 376 recognizes that aftermarket exhaust systems offer increased performance, which can make a vehicle safer by improving its ability to merge, pass, travel uphill, etc.
     

Overview: SAN-supported legislation (S.B. 376) has been introduced in Hawaii that would allow the use, sale, alteration, or installation of car mufflers that meet a 95-decibel noise limit. Under the current law, no person can sell, alter, or install a muffler which will noticeably increase a vehicle’s noise. This bill provides an opportunity for vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet an objective decibel limit under a fair and predictable test. The bill currently awaits consideration in the Senate Committees on Transportation and Judiciary, which is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, February 16.