Forest Hills Lawmaker Helps Pass Act To Curb Loud Vehicles

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A legislator who represents central Queens, including Forest Hills, just got one step closer to helping his constituents sleep through the night.

New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. co-sponsored the "Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution Act," aptly dubbed the SLEEP Act, which passed the state Legislator last Friday. If signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo the bill will ban the sale of devices that make vehicles louder.

The SLEEP Act also aims to increase fines and regulations against motorists and repair shops that specifically modify vehicles to make them noisier — an issue that was increasingly reported amid the pandemic, as motorists raced souped-up vehicles through the nearly empty streets.

Currently, people can be fined up to $150 for modifying their muffler and exhaust systems to make their cars or motorcycles louder. This new act would increase the fine to $1,000.

Repair shops will also be more seriously penalized under the new bill, which will require the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to deny or revoke shop licenses to businesses that are caught selling noise-increasing devices more than three times in an 18-month period.

Addabbo, who co-sponsored the bill alongside other Queens-based legislators, described souped-up noisy vehicles as “not only annoying” but also “a quality of life issue, which can contribute to impaired health conditions, such as hearing loss to exposed individuals of all ages.”

He said that the issue isn’t situated in just one location, adding that his office has received complaints about loud vehicles and street racing from constituents across his district.

The bill will be delivered to the Governor soon, who has not indicated whether or not he plans to sign it into law.