Noisy boys sick of being picked on

By ALANAH MAY ERIKSEN
Noisy Rotorua boy racers may be driven off the road under a strict new exhaust noise test.

But local car enthusiast James O'Connell says it won't stop lads hooning around town.

Under new testing regulations, which come into effect next month, cars with deafening exhausts can be sent for checks at garages equipped with noise meters.

Cars that register above 95 decibels during the "objective" noise test will be barred from the road until their exhausts have been quietened.

The current fine for a noisy car is $150 and whether a car is too noisy is judged by the police officers who pull people over.

James said 95 decibels was an "extremely ridiculous" reading for a test.

"My Corolla would be way over that and I know a lot of guys that would have cars way louder than me. All my mates have loud cars."

The previous owner of James' Corolla fitted a bigger exhaust to accommodate a bigger engine he also put in it.

James has owned about 10 cars and says only one of them wasn't noisy.

"My uncle was the chief mechanic in the States on Indy cars. They've just always been in the family. My old man has always had nice cars."

The 18-year-old owns a 1994 Toyota Corolla. The first week he got it he was pulled up by a police officer because it "looked shady" but he managed to escape a fine. He has racked up about $5000 in fines since he began driving at the age of 13.

He's sick of the way young people and their cars are picked on. "If an old guy has a done up a car, they won't even look twice but if a young guy is driving one, he'll get pulled over straight away."

A parts assistant at a local tractor sales and service outlet, James said noisy cars were a phase boys went through.

"The guy I bought my car off got sick of boy racer cars and bought himself a nana one. One day I'll grow out of it."

Bay of Plenty road police manager Inspector Kevin Taylor said until now, checks on noisy exhausts were "subjective", done by police officers listening to a car to decide if it was louder than a standard model.

"It's just a nuisance issue, not a safety issue. I don't know anyone that has died from a noisy car," he said. "It is anti-social, ruins your quality of life. It's unpleasant when you're in town and you get really loud vehicles hooning past. But I'm sure they think they look really cool."

Rotorua police will be trained in the new rules next month before the testing is introduced in Rotorua. Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven said the objective noise test was aimed at the small number of New Zealanders who operated excessively noisy vehicles.

"We are sending the clear message that we are not going to put up with that behaviour any more."

The test will not be part of getting a Warrant of Fitness but if a customer fails a subjective noise test at that time, they can either fix the exhaust then or get an objective noise test from a provider.

"Noisy vehicles are a nuisance and the government will not allow a minority of inconsiderate motorists to impinge on everyone's quality of life," Mr Duynhoven said.