Pols introduce bill to stop noise from drag-racers

State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Councilmember Justin Brannan have introduced legislation to combat excessive noise from drag-racers and other motorists who tamper with vehicle mufflers and exhaust systems.

The bill, known as Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution (SLEEP), would increase fines for excessive noise. It would also require police to have decibel readers and would define “excessive” as 95 decibels or more.

Gounardes is introducing state legislation while Brannan is introducing a city resolution. The two collaborated on the bill after hearing increasing reports from constituents about loud drag-racing keeping people awake all night.

“Times are stressful and the last thing families need when trying to get some hard-earned sleep is outrageously loud, gratuitous noise keeping them up all night,” said Gounardes. “Our legislation will curtail this anti-social and dangerous behavior and let neighbors get some sleep once and for all.”

“This bill will hopefully make these idiots think twice and bring some peace and quiet back to our neighborhoods at night,” said Brannan.

In May, Maureen Landers of Bay Ridge Advocates Keeping Everyone Safe (BRAKES) described the drag-racing situation in the neighborhood.

“I regularly walk along Shore Road and live between Colonial [Road] and Narrows [Avenue],” she said. “Every evening when I’m walking, you can see them. There’s a large group of mostly young men gathering in the street. Obviously, I don’t want to stop people from gathering, but they’re double-parked with sports cars in the middle of Narrows.”

Vito Bruno, Gounardes’ opponent in the upcoming election in the 22nd State Senate district, said fighting more serious crimes should be prioritized.

“Crime is skyrocketing in our community, with several murders in a couple of weeks, carjackings, vicious assaults and robberies at a rate unseen here before because Andrew Gounardes passed a disastrous bail reform law and supports defunding the police,” said Bruno. “Let’s focus on violent crime first and restoring funding to the police, because if this keeps up, measuring decibel levels is all the police will be allowed to do.”