A bill targeted for defeat by SEMA to ban the “use and sale of any exhaust pipe that increases the sound emissions of any vehicle, including motorcycles,” was set aside for study by the legislature. This action means that the measure is unlikely to be considered by the legislature this year.
Among other things, the measure ignored the fact that aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to make vehicles run more efficiently without increasing emissions and did not supply law enforcement with a clear standard to enforce, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether or not a modified exhaust system is in violation.
Legislation to require the incorporation of noise-level testing into the vehicle-inspection process was also set aside. The bill did not define a noise-level limit, but allowed it to be determined by the regulators.
For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.