New York has established new standards for measuring snowmobile noise and identifying sleds that can be ticketed for being too loud, the Utica Obeserver Dispatch reports.
The measure, which was approved Wednesday, Nov. 13 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, allows police to crack down on loud aftermarket exhaust systems. The hope is that more landowners will open their property to riders.
"It’s just creating an alternate test for law enforcement to use," said Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, who sponsored the bill. He explained that OEM machines are already compliant with current regulations, but some riders change their exhaust systems, which makes their sleds louder.
The New York State Snowmobile Association, which backed the measure, said some landowners have recently closed trails to riders due to noise levels. President James Elmore says the association is "looking forward to a season with all trails open."
The bill bans operating a snowmobile without a working muffler that keeps noise below 78 decibels at full throttle measured from 50 feet away, as well as snowmobiles that emit 88 decibels at 4,000 rpm as measured from about 12 feet behind a stationary sled with a sound meter microphone. This test was developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers, and has been used in Michigan, Wisconsin and Colorado.