Quiet Please!
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  • Our Noise BLOG
Why Are They So Loud?
    Because the drivers of these cars WANT them to be loud.  No other reason.  Not safety.  Not improved engine performance.  Just noise.  And make no mistake and do not listen to the excuses, this is being loud for the sake of being loud; to be louder than the next driver, the other car.  It's a contest of egos for bragging rights.  And that you, a resident of Hawai'i, are the victim doesn't matter matter to them.  

See the following YouTube Video "Illegal Exhaust Street Cars." Notice that most of these cars are being driven on public roadways, not closed tracks.  While the loud noise is deafening - literally, deafening - the speed of these cars is nothing less than a tragedy waiting to happen.  Incidentally, by current Hawai'i law, all of these are illegal on our streets.  But despite them being common on our highways, HPD does nothing to curb this bad behavior and violation of ordinances and statutes.


YouTube Video Entitled "Getting revenge on my neighbor for calling the cops..."
   In this video a neighbor called the police and reported the loud exhaust.  The driver set up a meeting with friends to drive in front of that neighbor's house to make noise as "revenge" and to intimidate the neighbor.  


Illegally Modified Exhausts of Automobiles and Trucks
    Automobiles and trucks are equipped by their manufacturers with muffler systems aimed at reducing the noise emitted from the engine. 

     --The EPA approved noise from both automobiles and trucks is approximately 80dB(A).  
     --The noise created by aftermarket automobile and truck exhausts can rival that of illegally modified motorcycle
exhausts.
     --Noise levels can exceed 120dB(A), or 16 times louder than EPA approved guidelines.


What Do These Aftermarket Exhaust Systems Have in Common?
    Because each increases the noise level output of the exhaust higher than the originally installed muffler system and
are higher than EPA guidelines, they are ALL illegal in the State of Hawai'i !! 

    Nonetheless, Hawai'i law enforcement frequently asserts that they are unable to "Prove" they are louder because they lack noise meters to actually "Measure" that these mufflers are louder than those originally installed by the manufacturer.   Therefore, citations for this noise are not issued.  

    Commercial grade noise meters can be purchased for under $500.00.  Surely, even in these times of constrained budgets, HPD could afford to purchase ONE, and use it aggressively!!  Or if $500.00 can't be found, perhaps they could "Borrow" one from the Department of Health.

​And did we mention, a very reliable and accurate noise meter with selectable weighting (filter) can be downloaded to most smart phones for under $10.00.  We recommend DecibelX PRO.


And It's Not Just The Cars That Are Loud - Trucks, Too.
    Trucks, along with automobiles, are equal opportunity offenders as the following YouTube Video will show.


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Marketed as “the most aggressive sound street and strip muffler in XXX's product line.” Manufactured to be the ultimate “Resonance Chamber” This is not a muffler. It is designed to "re-echo" the noise so that when emitted it is amplified many times.
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These BIG BORE exhausts are frequently seen on the smaller Scions, Nissan, Toyota, Acura, and similar cars favored by young adults.
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REMARKABLY - These illegal aftermarket exhausts often cost more (high hundreds to thousands of dollars) than the car that it is being installed on is worth!! But in an irrational "mine is bigger than yours" world that doesn't seem to matter.