East Lansing May Try to Reduce Car Noise With Police-Led Education Initiative

For years, a top complaint at city meetings has been loud cars that interrupt public events and disrupt sleep. Soon, East Lansing may try to address the issue through a police-led education campaign. 

Complaints about loud cars came into focus last year when the City Council passed an ordinance instructing ELPD not to pull over drivers to conduct pretextual stops. Pretextual stops are conducted for minor violations that are not considered safety risks. East Lansing joined many municipalities around the country in banning pretextual stops, with the goal of reducing bias in policing.

One provision in East Lansing’s ordinance, however, drew criticism from many community members at city meetings: Loud exhaust. 

Council passed the ordinance after learning about enforcement challenges. ELPD and other police departments are unable to pick up decibel readings on moving cars, making it hard to prove noise infractions on vehicles in court.