Across Massachusetts, residents are regularly exposed to excessive noise from illegally modified vehicle exhaust systems. The noise can disrupt sleep, worsen health outcomes for the most vulnerable in our community, and make it harder for people to enjoy their homes and neighborhood streets. For many communities, this is a recurring safety and public-health concern—not simply an occasional annoyance.

The World Health Organization identifies road-traffic noise as an environmental health concern and links excessive noise exposure with sleep disturbance and cardiovascular risks (WHO Regional Office for Europe, Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, 2018; WHO, Guidance on Environmental Noise, 2024). The American Public Health Association likewise recognizes noise as a public-health hazard, citing evidence of impacts including sleep disturbance and cardiovascular health risks (APHA, “Noise as a Public Health Hazard,” 2022). Although these findings concern environmental noise broadly—not every individual modified-exhaust incident—they show why recurring, intrusive vehicle noise warrants action to protect community health.

Massachusetts already prohibits mufflers that fail to prevent excessive or unnecessary noise, as well as muffler cutouts and bypasses. But residents continue to report loud vehicles, while enforcement is inconsistent. Chronic environmental noise can interfere with sleep and contribute to stress, affecting residents’ health and well-being.

We urge the Senate Committee on Ways and Means to advance S.1716, An Act regulating illegal exhaust systems for motor vehicles. The bill has been reported favorably by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and referred to Ways and Means. Advancing it would give the Legislature the opportunity to consider updated tools for addressing illegal exhaust systems and responding to residents’ concerns. malegislature.gov

We also call on mayors across Massachusetts to treat excessive illegal exhaust noise as a public-safety and public-health issue. Please direct your police departments to consistently enforce the current law, including Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 16, when vehicles are operating with unlawful exhaust systems. Residents should not have to accept repeated, preventable noise disruptions as an unavoidable part of daily life.

Finally, we urge Senate President Karen Spilka to make S.1716 a policy priority, support its advancement through Ways and Means, and help bring it before the full Senate for a vote.

Every resident deserves to sleep, spend time outdoors, and enjoy their home without being subjected to chronic illegal exhaust noise. Please sign and share this petition to ask state and local leaders to enforce current law, protect community health and safety, and move S.1716 forward.