A new bill will be filed on Thursday at the City Council to increase penalties for motorists responsible for excessive honking, loud exhausts, and using “illegal sound-producing devices.”
The new legislation to be filed by Councilman Eric Bottcher (D-Manhattan) would double fines for such violations, potentially raising the penalties from a maximum fine of $3,000 to $6,000.
“Every New Yorker knows how it feels to be woken up in the night by an obnoxiously loud vehicle,” Bottcher said.
“These vehicles and drivers aren’t just rude and inconsiderate, they’re harming people’s physical and mental health,” Bottcher added.
Based on Bottcher’s proposal, drivers whose exhaust noise can be heard at 150 feet away or more would be subject to fines of up to $1,050 for a first-time violation — up from $525. Third-time violations for such offenses would jump from a maximum of $1,575 to $3,150.
The bill also wants to penalize drivers with a tendency to haul off on their horns when there’s no visible sign of danger.
The penalty for this violation are $2,000 for first-time violations — up from $1,000 — and $6,000 fines for third-time infractions, double the $3,000 fine already in place.
Sources said the fines for using air horns or other after-market sound devices installed on a vehicle would jump from $2,625 to $3,950.
According to reports, Council members Linda Lee (D-Queens), Sandra Ung (D-Queens), and Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn) are also supporting the legislation.
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