Automobile Stereo Speakers: Turn Them Down
...me drivers, turning up the stereo is a form of entertainment. Dallas Wilson, who works in an electronics store and competes in car stereo sound competitions says, “I will drop the windows, and I will crank my stereo to a point where I can enjoy my music at a loud volume” (qtd. in Frazier). However, although playing loud music is enjoyable for some people, many others feel the negative effects are greater. Those people who are for legislation that limits car stereo sound believe that it is not only inconsiderate but also unethical to pollute the environment with unnecessary noise. One group, the Noise Pollution Clearing house (NPC) is seeking to advance the “ethic of the commons.” They think that noise polluters mistakenly extend “their own private property rights to that [air space] which is publicly owned or cared for.” In other words, no one has the right to violate other people’s rights by making loud noises that disrupt peace of mind and sleep (Protecting). Proponents of legislation to control high-decibel noise from car stereos point out that the US has been slow to take legal action against drivers who pollute the environment with loud music. For instance, other countries have long had laws in place to control such noise. For example, in 1947 Bermuda passed The Road Traffic Act, which states that it is illegal to play a “car radio/tape player (or sound a vehicle fitted alarm or bell) between midnight and 6 a.m.” (sect. 19.2). The sound of car stereos is limited to a radius of 30 feet. Consequently, violators risk a find or $50. Even bicycle riders are fined $25. if the bike causes “undue noise” (Answers). On a local level, the Waynesville, NC police are beginning to issue fines to people who break their noise ordinance, which states: No person shall play, use operate or permit to be played, used or operate any radio, tape player, CD player, tape recorder, machine or other audio device that produces sound if it is located in or on any motor vehicle on a public street, highway, in a public space, in a public park or in a public vehicular area (parking lot); and at the same time the sound generated from said device is audible at a distance of thirty (30) feet or more from the motor vehicle in or on which the audio device is located. (sect. 97B-1) There are a few exceptions to this law listed in Section 97B-3, which allow noises that are generated from activities such as emergency vehicles, authorized utility vehicles, state and federal motor vehicle horns or beepers as warning devices, or vehicles participating in authorized parades. Waynesville is just one small town in the USA that is trying to promote legal action toward those who violate citizens’ rights in favor of noise control. We need more towns to get in gear and begin to enforce their noise ordinances. Although in the United States, police have the power to determine what noise is disruptive and to decide what penalty to administer to violators, they issue only a warning and tell the offender to turn down the music. Why are they so slow to enforce the noise ordinances? Isn’t the law supposed to protect every citizen’s rights? The cities of Pittsburgh, Buffalo, New York City, and Chicago have enacted much stricter laws against car stereo pollution. Police there have begun to impound violators’ vehicles and impose expensive fines (“Cut Volume”). Proponents also point out that sound from car stereos can be dangerous not only to the offender but also to other drivers on the road. Loud music prevents the driver from hearing horns of other drivers or sirens of emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances. Therefore, he/she may not move out of the way. Also, the driver cannot hear approaching trains over blasts of pounding stereo speakers. Both situations can lead to tragic accidents. According to research conducted by a Canadian study that was published in the British Broadcast News, listening to music while driving can seriously hamper reaction times and cause accidents, especially if drivers listen to music with a pounding beat rather than more relaxed tunes (BBC News). The most common danger of noise pollution is to our human health. Hearing is at risk when an individual is exposed t...