Bill to Ban Car Alarms in Hawaii Too

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Yup, we’d like to move on beyond Hawaii too, but the state just doesn’t seem to like car electronics this year.

After seeking to all but ban car audio systems, Hawaii’s got another bill awaiting a hearing in the House Transportation Committee to make it illegal to install or use a car alarm as of January 1, 2012. And it would mandate that drivers disable their current alarms!

This bill HB63 was first introduced on January 20 and has been referred to two committees. No hearing has been scheduled yet in the committees.

The act would fine anyone whose car alarm goes off “for any period of time” not more than $100. Fines go up to $250 on the fourth violation, $375 on the fifth violation and $500 on the sixth or subsequent violation. (It’s like a tax to use a car alarm).

Hawaii Bill would ban car alarms A car alarm is defined as any device, even if it does not emit an audible sound, which is designed or used for the detection of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.

The act also specifically states that “Beginning on January 1, 2012, no motor vehicle alarm system or feature of an alarm system that emits an audible sound may be installed in a motor vehicle in the State. No later than January 1, 2012, all motor vehicle alarm systems or features of alarm systems that emit an audible sound that have been installed prior to that date shall be uninstalled or disabled.”

Source: CEoutlook

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14 Comments

  1. This proposed bill by Rep. Karl Rhoades of Hawaii is an attempt to curb or stop car alarms from making any noise. It’s a noise issue as was the other bill to ban car audio products (speakers over 6 1/2″, 100 watt max, 5 speakers max). We here in Hawaii already have various noise ordinances in place that addresses all these different noise problems. An ordinance for car alarms, one for loud car stereo systems, another for barking dogs, another for leaf blowers, etc. It’s an enforcement issue, whereby the local police have not put a high priority when some calls to complain about an alarm going off in a neighborhood. As it should be, there are a lot more pressing issues to be handled…crime, speeding, DUI, etc.
    I just wish these Representatives would contact or consult both sides before authoring a bill. And I really hope this does not give a “black eye” to Hawaii, because it really is a beautiful place to live as well as visit.

  2. Dear Hawaii,
    Maybe you should spend more time trying to catch people committing crimes instead of punishing the victims who are trying to defend themselves against that crime. Will there also be a $100 fine when a woman blows a “rape whistle?” Got to keep that noise down there too.

  3. All we can say is “FOOTLOOSE” the movie

    And its Big Brother at its best…..TIME TO MOVE FROM HAWAII

  4. And what about all the thousands factory alarms that cannot be dissabled or turned off? The vehicle manufacturers of OEM alarm systems may have some real issues with this if they need to start replacing integrated alarms/computers in vehicles.

    Like the Brady Bill it will spread like wildfire!

    CB

  5. The efforts to curb noise pollution is happening throughout much of the developed world. This is a reasonable and intelligent response to the growing problem of noise from many sources.
    In Maine, there’s a growing effort to curb loud motorcycles and the Facebook page of Maine Citizens For Quiet Motorvehicles has a lot of information on this.

    This article further supports the efforts to address noise pollution.

    http://business.highbeam.com/811/article-1G1-63738876/noise-pollution-growth-unsustainable-polluters-should

  6. This is absurd. This by the way is neither the installers or the companies fault because of equipment. The main objective of all of us as shop owners is to make money. The only thing that differs each one of us is the philosophy we choose to do so in. Just because Joe down the street installs alarms for $99, doesnt mean that hes more guilty of this problem than mike up the street that charges $299 for a basic alarm. If he is wanting to ban car alarms for “excessive noise pollution” then how come no one takes care of noisy obnoxious exhaust systems such as Harley’s, muscle cars, imports, semi’s, etc. I just think people need to quit bitching about small stuff like this. There is plenty of other shit we should be regulating if you really wanna make this country better such as emissions.

  7. Really Larry?! You think Obama even knows this “potential” law is out there? This is a completely obsurd idea to those of us that take pride in what we do but Barry is right. There is a certain pecentage of shops that we all refer to as “hack” shops that are ultimately the root of the problem. I would say holding them accountable for faulty install work would make more sense. Doesn’t Hawaii have noise laws? Is anyone enforcing them? I don’t see how one state could actually pass this thing without looking at the bigger picture to see how it would affect their own local economy and our entire industry if they actually got this ball rolling.

  8. I use to enjoy going to Hawaii for a vacation but after this, I’ll be vacationing in the Bahamas in the future. Any state that sets out to kill an industry and prevent its people from securing their vehicles is not a destination for me. They already have a high crime rate, now car thief’s will have a field day. Sorry Hawaii, I won’t be back.

  9. I think Hawaii is Drinking to much
    liberal Kool-Aid and the young people
    and voters need to start voting these people out of
    office because this will cripple Hawaii ecnomics
    it is already bad enough, but to put people out of work
    and go on Unemployment which will even put a bigger
    burden on Hawaii to support these people.
    sometime people do not think.
    this is the most random laws I ever seen

  10. So, Is the state of Hawaii then, willing to accept the cost of damage to my car since they are forcing the owners to remove or disable the alarm systems… Car burgles read the news too, and they know they can break into cars without worry of being caught if this law goes into effect?

    Yet another fine example of our government losing its mind.

    In a way, I can understand citizens whining about audible alarms – – but the legislation is inclusive of ANY Alarm.

    So – are the systems in the Bait Cars used by the Police illegal then? Or will ONLY members of the special government clubs exempt.

    I am hoping the 12V industry is pulling out all the stops and throwing crazy lobbyist money at this thing!

  11. As absurd as such legislation is, everyone must remember that these attempts at legislation crop up (as they did some years ago in New York City) because citizens (who are legitimately suffering disturbance in their homes) scream at their local political figures about noise pollution. Audio “abuse” is different from car alarms in that the “abuser” is making a choice to play their system at loud volumes.

    Car alarms cause disturbance because they are based upon cheaply built hardware and the only way dealers can be profitable (at the market-driven standard price of $199 installed or lower) is to shoehorn them into vehicles in an hour or less. The product that consumers drive away with in most cases is junk from day one and is absolutely bound to fail and cause noise pollution. The aftermarket 12V indsutry can thank itself for creating this environment where everything it sells is a commodity and any sense of value was abandoned decades ago. You can thank security manufacturers that created video tape-based training programs to speed up installations…and those same manufacturers that use plugs and wiring harness connectors unfit for cereal box prizes.

    The legislation in NYC and Hawaii are based on people suffering because their sleep and their peace at home has been violated. In the car alarm category, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy many of us saw coming in the 1980’s. If you want to point fingers, it should be at every alarm manufacturer that packaged their products with T-Tap connectors and encouraged their dealers to wire-tie alarm brains to steering columns, churning the job out in 40 minutes. You reap what you sew…

  12. Barry is right, it just takes one state to start the ripple effect that will screw a whole industry. I guess Obama wants all these alarms disabled and etc, so when he looses the election in 2012 he can go back to his old career of boosting car stereos.

  13. Because our industry is not facing enough challenges already…. These things are viral, and must be squashed. If a dealer in any state thinks he is not at risk, think again. At some point, though, are we forced to seek solutions for the root cause of this? Improper installations, poorly adjusted shock and “radar” sensors, and malfunctioning products cause false alarms and create noise issues.

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