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Our mission is to elevate the issue of noise pollution with federal, state, and local officials, as well as to educate the public about the dangers of noise pollution. Please take a look at our mission to reduce noise in our communities.
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Our Blogs
Food Lion: Clean up on aisle seven
Virtually all grocery stores play “background” music and have frequent “clean up on aisle seven” announcements. I had a particularly egregious experience in June 2018 at a Food Lion store in Durham, North Carolina. When I entered the store, I was greeted...
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Loud Music at University of North Carolina Swimming Pool
I am member of the Meadowmont wellness facility in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Meadowmont is owned and operated by the University of North Carolina. Meadowmont is a beautiful facility. Unfortunately, however, there is frequently very loud music in the...
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It’s Not Just Bells Anymore
In many noise ordinances, it has been common practice to exempt certain types of noise from controls in the public interest. Such exemptions typically include emergency service work, emergency vehicles, farm equipment, special events with a permit … and...
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Chapel Hill: Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet has proclaimed May as “Motorcycle Noise Awareness Month.”
Ted Rueter, Noise Free America’s director, stated that “noise pollution caused by loud motorcycles is a serious environmental concern."
Contact:
Ted Rueter
[email protected]
877-664-7366
NFA asks supporters of peace and quiet to ask their local city council to adopt a resolution proclaiming May as motorcycle noise awareness month using the template proclamation provided."
Excessive noise has serious health effects, including hearing loss, ringing of the ears, sleep deprivation, heart disease, and aggressive behavior.
Excessive noise is also a serious problem for community development. A Census Bureau report found that noise is Americans’ number one complaint about their neighborhood and the number one reason they wish to move.
Congress enacted the Noise Control Act of 1972 to “promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health or welfare” and established the EPA Office of Noise Abatement and Control.
The Office of Noise Abatement and Control found that transportation related noise disturbed the public the most; they concluded that motorcycles exhaust systems are “major sources of environmental noise.” The EPA promulgated federal regulations setting maximum noise limits for motorcycles and established a federal motorcycle muffler standard to prevent motorcycles from exceeding those noise limits.
However, owners of loud motorcycles ignore federal and state muffler laws and illegally modify their motorcycle's exhaust system. As a result, many motorcycle are so loud that they keep people awake at night, create a nuisance in traffic and ruin the peace and tranquility of the home. The unlawful tampering with motorcycle exhaust systems is the root cause of excessively loud motorcycles.
The states and their law enforcement agencies should address the problem of excessive motorcycle noise and its root cause by adopting the recommended approach in Noise Free America's Guide to Modified Exhaust Systems: A Reference for Law Enforcement Officials and Motor Vehicle Inspectors.
Here is the template proclamation you should ask your local government to adapt. Please do so.
(insert the title of your local government)
Proclamation
Of
"Motorcycle Noise Awareness Month"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEREAS: Inadequately controlled noise pollution causes adverse psychological and physiological effects on human beings and presents a danger to the health and welfare of the citizens of (insert the name of your municipality).
WHEREAS: Public surveys conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency found that transportation related noise disturbed the public the most, that excessively loud motorcycles figured prominently in public complaints and concluded that motorcycles are among the noisiest vehicles in the traffic stream.
WHEREAS: Many motorcycles illegally equipped with ineffective exhaust systems are major sources of environmental noise, are so loud that they keep people awake at night, ruin the peace and tranquility of the home, and create a nuisance in traffic.
WHEREAS: (insert the title of your local government) recognizes the harm inflicted on its citizens by excessively loud motorcycles and its responsibility to protect its citizens from that harm and to enforce the applicable laws.
WHEREAS:(insert the title of your local government) calls upon its citizens to assist in this effort and report excessively loud motorcycles to the police department.
WHEREAS: In the interest of promoting an environment for all citizens free from noise that jeopardizes their health or welfare and to protect, preserve and promote the health, safety, welfare, peace and quiet for the citizens of (insert the name of your municipality).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED by (insert the title of your local government) that the Month of May, (insert year)be proclaimed: “Motorcycle Noise Awareness Month” in (insert the name of your municipality).
NHTSA finalizes quiet-car rule for hybrids, electrics, to take full effect in 2020.
It's bad enough that Congress directed NHTSA to come up with regulations to require auto manufactures to manufacture hybrird and EVs make to noise at low speeds.
But this request by auto manufactures reported in the article is even more very troubling.
"A separate request by automakers that they be allowed the vary the noises legally emitted by their cars—most likely to adopt distinctive sounds that aligned with their brands—will be considered by the agency."
Hey NHTSA! Don't even consider that for a moment. The last thing the motor vehicle noise pollution suffering public needs is cars emitting "distinctive sounds" chosen by auto manufactures and perhaps by their customers as a "customization" feature that allegedly aligns with the brands of cars they make and the tastes of their customers. Talk about opening a Pandora's box! That lid needs to remain shut.
NHTSA finalizes quiet-car rule for hybrids, electrics, to take full effect in 2020
greencarreports.com
The idea of adding noise-makers to vehicles that are "too quiet" didn't exist until the first hybrid-electric cars hit the market in 2000. Within a few years, however, organizations representing the b...Attention all of you who support the mission of Noise Free America.
You can help NFA help you deal with noise pollution by doing a bit more than just liking NFA's facebook page which is greatly appreciated.
NFA is a non-profit organization with very little financial resources and your financial support would be also be greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, November 28 is "Giving Tuesday." Please consider giving to a cause you care about and make a tax deductible donation to Noise Free America at the link below.
www.noisefree.org/donate.php
Thank you for your support!
Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet
Noise Free America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting noise pollution.