With warmer temperatures, come open windows, and relaxing outside.
Until...the sound of an excessively loud car or motorcycle breaks the stillness with an ear-splitting acceleration.
If that's you, it could mean a $110 fine for unnecessary noise and $110 for an improper muffler.
Police are starting to enforce the Highway Traffic Act that states, "A person having the control or charge of a motor vehicle shall not sound any bell, horn or other signalling devices so as to make an unreasonable noise, and a driver of any motor vehicle shall not permit any unreasonable amount of smoke to escape from the motor vehicle, nor shall the driver at any time cause the motor vehicle to make any unnecessary noise.
"Every motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle shall be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and excessive smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, straight exhaust, gutted muffler, hollywood muffler, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle."
Your buddies may give you thumbs up, but it will be thumb's down from OPP.
"Loud mufflers are illegal - a muffler is designed to MUFFLE sound," says the OPP.
You can buy the parts and have your exhaust system modified to produce more sound. That's not against the law. But hit the highway, and it's a different story.
Regulation is generally based on a high level of complaints received.
No decibel reading is required for court or a conviction as officers can determine if the noise is loud enough to issue a ticket. Officers must see and hear the vehicle in order to issue the ticket.
In fact, what exactly constitutes ‘unnecessary noise’ is fairly broad from squealing your tires to honking your horn unnecessarily.
Loud muffler are illegal - a muffler is designed to MUFFLE sound $110 for unnecessary noise and $110 for improper muffler in Belfountain enforcement #CaledonOPP #StayHome ^im pic.twitter.com/O2rMGlR4aZ
— OPP Central Region (@OPP_CR) April 15, 2020