Cracking down on the scourge of noise pollution and illegal street racing in Irvine, traffic cops hit the roads Thursday for a double whammy of High Visibility Enforcement. The Irvine Police Department's Traffic Bureau, responding to a slew of complaints, targeted the Great Park Neighborhoods in the morning and the area around Campus and University in the afternoon. The blitz was aimed at taming rogue drivers with modified exhausts and putting the brakes on their high-octane antics.
The morning session was spurred by locals fed up with their peace and quiet being shattered, while the afternoon's operation put the spotlight on the vehicle vandals and speed demons turning streets into their personal racetracks. In the words of Irvine PD, posted loudly and clearly on their Facebook page, the focus was on "addressing complaints of loud vehicles and street racing."
It isn't just the sound that's drawing irate calls. It's the law these noisy nuisances are breaking. Irvine PD referenced Vehicle Code 27151, which clearly states that modifying a car's exhaust to dial up the volume beyond legal noise limits is strictly verboten. So is operating a vehicle sporting such illegal tweaks. The letter of the law dictates a maximum sound level of 95 dbA for vehicles weighing less than 6,000 pounds, barring motorcycles, of course.
Not just a nuisance, these thunderous roars of modified exhausts pose a direct challenge to the authority of Vehicle Code 27151. The section demands drivers to keep it down and keep it legal, lest they face the consequences from vigilant officers waiting in the wings. The Irvine PD's message is crystal clear: when it comes to making unnecessary noise or burning rubber on their turf, it's "game over" for drivers who treat the streets like their personal drag strips.
