Car modifications are a way for people to show off their personality and make their cars feel special. People upgrade their wheels, add spoilers, or change the paint color of their car. However, some drivers have taken car modifications too far by choosing flashy upgrades over safety and responsibility. Rather than serving a practical purpose, many of these changes are made to attract attention.
One of the most common car modifications is customized loud exhaust systems. Some drivers make their cars extremely noisy on purpose. Although they might think it sounds cool, it can be very annoying and even stressful for people nearby or in neighborhoods. Loud exhausts can also be very dangerous, making it hard for drivers to hear important sounds like sirens or horns on the road. Drivers should not prioritize sounding better over the safety of the people around them.
The tickets for illegal exhausts and excessive noise vary. For a first offense, the ticket is usually $25 with fees climbing to $193. There have been some instances where the overall cost of the illegal exhaust fines have reached up to $1,105.
California Vehicle Code # 27151 prohibits car owners from making modifications to your exhaust that either directly violate VC 27151 or that raise the decibel level of your vehicle above 88 dbA. If your vehicle weighs less than 6,000 pounds or is a motorcycle, it can’t make noise that exceeds 95 dbA. It’s worth noting that most vehicles, even the ones that have a nice throaty roar, are designed in such a way that the noise they make doesn’t exceed 75 dbA.
Illegal window tint and excessive lighting are two modifications that are also becoming more common on cars. Bright LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights under cars or flashing lights on the outside may look interesting, but can distract other drivers and make it harder to focus on the road. At the same time, dark window tint past California’s legal limit of 70% for front side windows can limit visibility for the driver and others who are trying to look inside the car. These modifications may look stylish, but appearance should never come before safety.
Illegal tint and lighting in California typically result in a correctable ticket, with fines ranging from $25 to over $200 for repeat offenses.
While these changes may seem like a way to improve a car’s appearance, they can also create distractions and increase the risk of accidents. Too many drivers treat public roads like places to show off rather than a space where safety should come first. When modifications make a vehicle louder or more distracting, they become illegal.
The line between personal style and unnecessary modifications is crossed when changes begin affecting others safety or break the law. Car modifications can be a great way for people to express themselves, but that should never come at the cost of the public’s safety. Drivers should be free to customize their vehicles, but only if those changes are legal and considerate of everyone else on the road.
PHOTO COURTESY OF Kelvin Zyteng ON UNSPLASH
