If you drive an excessively loud car in New York, you might want to think about avoiding red light cameras because they're tracking your noise levels.

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I'm not much of a car guy myself, so I can't speak to what it feels like to drive a car that sounds like a jet engine taking off. I'm sure people who drive those cars love it because it makes them feel like Hollywood stunt drivers. But for the rest of us, all those cars are just an annoyance that somehow manage to rev their engines right outside your house at 7:00 am on a Saturday.

Well if you drive one of those cars, you should know that in New York State, red light cameras are also measuring sound levels to identify if your car has been illegally modified to be as loud as humanly possible.

New York Red Light Camera
IStryfry Marcus/Unsplash
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According to a report by Matthew Humphries of PC Magazine, New York's Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution Act, put into effect in April of 2022 and more commonly referred to as the SLEEP Act, made it possible for drivers of excessively loud cars to receive a ticket in the mail from a red light camera.

Now if you drive a loud car, you more than likely don't need to worry about this too much. The sound meters on red light cameras are designed to fine drivers who illegally modify mufflers and exhaust systems to make their cars even louder. If you're driving a muscle car that hasn't been illegally modified, you should be perfectly fine.

But for those who have illegally modified their cars, if a red light camera catches you revving the engine you could get hit with an $800 fine for your first offense, and that could balloon to $2,625 if you ignore your third offense. So if that applies to you, it might be a good idea to avoid red light cameras until you can figure out how to make your car quieter.

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