Salinas Police address complaints about loud cars

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) - Police say they are getting more and complaint of loud cars zooming down residential streets.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease… but in this case the loud exhaust gets the violation. Salinas Police say they are cracking down on cars that are simply too noisy.

A KION viewer reached out writing:

Hi Max,

I’ve noticed over the last year up to present day, an extreme amount of modified cars.  I was under the believe/impression that it’s not legal to modify the exhaust/ muffler on  your car.  

These cars are so loud it sounds like they are ripping a hole in the fabric of the universe.  They backfire so loud, it  sounds like gunfire.

At all times of the day and night . Early morning and late into the night.  This is definitely peace disturbing.  

I’m pretty sure there’s a noise ordinance, how can we the regular everyday citizen get it enforced?

Then there’s the dangerous speeding through residential neighborhoods and up and down North Main Street, which is a very busy business area in Salinas. Is there something that can be done legally, about what maybe the noise from the illegal modification of these cars and the speeding?  

Your help with this matter is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.  

Marie E.

Police tell me this is a problem they have been hearing more about.

"We have gotten some complaints through social media before through people calling into the police department themselves and reporting every Friday or Saturday night there seems to an excessive amount of cars with loud exhaust going through their neighborhood or specific street," says Officer Seth Morten with the Salinas Police Department's Traffic Unit.

According to police, vehicle code 27.151 B says a vehicle can't have any excessive or unusual noise. However, that has been hard to define when pulling someone over.

Now, Salinas Police are trained to use sound meters.

"If we suspect a vehicle having loud exhaust or unusual exhaust, we'll go through an investigation essentially there on the side of the road with a sound meter. if it's over a certain decibel they they would be in violation," says Morten.

The car owner would need to fix the issue and then have it inspected by the state or police will have it impounded.

Officer Morten also says the number of recent sideshows, where cars up to the hundreds gather, have also become a noise and safety issue.

Police recommend continuing to complain about the loud cars so they can track them down.