Austin drivers who love to rev their engines might soon find that habit a lot more expensive. City police are asking for a brand-new traffic offense that would let officers ticket vehicles for loud engine noise, after a wave of complaints about roaring motors and speeding in neighborhoods and along busy routes like the RM 2222 corridor.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, a memo from Chief Lisa Davis proposes amending the city’s traffic regulation code to create a new offense for “unreasonable” vehicle engine noise. Under the draft, officers could cite drivers for engine noise that is “offensive to a person of ordinary sensibilities,” language the chief’s office developed with the city attorney’s office, the outlet reports.
Where Complaints Piled Up
Neighbors and commuters have repeatedly flagged stretches of west Austin as hotspots, and the department has already ramped up enforcement on FM 2222 to deal with both speeding and loud engines. Intensified traffic enforcement on FM 2222 last summer showed the problem was on APD’s radar well before this latest proposal.
How Enforcement Could Look
The draft ordinance would give officers some leeway to decide when engine noise crosses the line, including factors like the time of day and how close the vehicle is to homes. The chief’s office plans to brief the Public Safety Committee on Feb. 2 before sending the language toward full Council consideration, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Legal Questions To Watch
Noise rules that lean on a “reasonable person” or “ordinary sensibilities” standard have survived legal scrutiny in Texas. In State v. Holcombe, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld ordinances that barred noise which “unreasonably disturb[s]” people of ordinary sensibilities, finding they were not unconstitutionally vague. Even so, that kind of broad enforcement discretion often makes civil liberties advocates and everyday drivers pay close attention.
What Comes Next
If the committee briefing goes as planned, the item could land on a City Council agenda after the committee review. The Public Safety Committee typically meets at City Hall (301 W. 2nd St.), and agendas and backup materials are posted on the city’s Legistar page for the committee (City of Austin Public Safety Committee).
Whether the proposal actually cuts down on late-night revving without sparking fresh complaints about uneven enforcement will depend on the final wording and how it is applied on the street. For now, it marks a clear move by APD to quiet a noise problem that residents say has been rattling windows, sleep schedules and nerves in pockets of the city.
