Pennsylvania Code › Title 67 - TRANSPORTATION › Part I - Department of Transportation › Subpart A - Vehicle Code Provisions › Article VII - Vehicle Characteristics › Chapter 157 - ESTABLISHED SOUND LEVELS › Subchapter B - NOISE LIMITS › Section 157.11 - Vehicular noise limits

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Prohibition.
No person shall operate either a motor vehicle or
						combination of vehicles of a type subject to registration at any time or under
						any condition of grade, load, acceleration or deceleration in such a manner as
						to exceed the following noise limit for the category of motor vehicle within
						the speed limits specified in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Maximum Permissible Sound Level Readings (decibel
						  (A)) Highway operations test
soft
									 site
hard site
35 mph or
									 less
Above 35 mph
35 mph or
									 less
Above 35 mph
(1) Any motor vehicle with a manufacturers
									 gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or more and any combination of
									 vehicles towed by such motor vehicle.
86
90
88
92
(2) Any motorcycle other than a motor-driven
									 cycle.
82
86
84
88
3) Any other motor vehicle and any combination
									 of vehicles towed by such motor
									 vehicles.
76
82
78
84
(b)
Measurement distance.
The noise limits established by this section shall be based on a distance of 50
						feet from the center lane of travel within the speed limit specified in this
						section. Measurements at distances closer than 50 feet from the center of the
						lane of travel may be made. In such a case, the measuring device shall be so
						calibrated as to provide for measurements equivalent to the noise limit
						established by this section measured at 50 feet.
(c)
Trucks.
A truck, truck
						tractor, or bus that is not equipped with an identification plate or marking
						bearing the name and gross vehicle weight rating of the manufacturer shall be
						considered as having a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or more if
						the unladen weight is more than 5,000 pounds.
(d)
Exemptions.
This section
						does not apply to any of the following:
(1)
						The sound generated by a warning device, such as a horn or siren, installed in
						a motor vehicle, unless such device is intentionally sounded in order to
						preclude an otherwise valid noise emission measurement.
(2) An emergency vehicle, such as a fire
						department vehicle, police vehicle, ambulance, blood-delivery vehicle, armed
						forces emergency vehicle, one private vehicle of fire or police chief or
						assistant chief or ambulance corps commander or assistant commander or of a
						river rescue commander, or other vehicles designated by the State Police as
						emergency vehicles, when responding to an emergency call.
(3) A snow plow in operation.
(4) The sound generated by special mobile
						equipment which is normally operated only when the motor vehicle on which it is
						installed is stopped or is operating at a speed of 5 miles per hour or less,
						unless such device is intentionally operated at speeds greater than 5 miles per
						hour in order to preclude an otherwise valid noise measurement.