A Florida law against cranking up the car stereo will get a challenge this month, but many cities still want to curb how loud you can play your car tunes.
Thousands of drivers were ticketed last year under a Florida law that makes it illegal for your car stereo to be “plainly audible” to a policeman 25 feet or further away. But Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments to rescind the law on January 26, reported USA Today Monday.
Still many cities are trying to curb turning up the car stereo volume. Covington, Ky.; Green Bay, Wi.; Gulfport, Miss.; Huntsville, Al.; Lorain, Oh; Peoria, Il and Elkart, In, use ordinances to impose fines on loud volume cars.
In the past year, Reno and Sparks Nevada adopted a “25 foot ordinance” similar to the one in Florida. And Elgin, Il toughened its law of 2009 by doubling the fine to $500.
Fortunately for the car electronics industry, the laws are being challenged for abridging the right to free speech or for selective enforcement. You could actually argue that cranking up your car stereo is exercising your right to free speech.
In July, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida won a case against the City of Sarasota, Fl which may no longer enforce the noise ordinance.
USA Today said Lou Virelli, an associate professor at Stetson University in Deland, Fla., says “Constitutional concerns are based on the government’s ability to regulate individual freedom vs. the individual’s right to do what they want and be free from governmental intrusion.”
Source: USA Today
Photo via bimmerfest.com
Always goverment wanting to figure out
out how to make money.
why dont they charge people for loud
rock concerts that is over 25 feet
how about loud parties at houses
or ball games they blair there music
on the field.
its because they do not like it.
I can see in residential neighbor hoods
at night or certain hours but on hwys and commercial zones
should be as loud as you can go and handle it.