“Silence is Golden:” Ride & Drive Community-Friendly

In the United States there has been a long standing affinity for customized vehicles.  This love affair with custom vehicles has been culturally embodied in movies like American Graffiti with those amazing street rods and Easy Rider or Wild Hogs, with the “chopper” motorcycles.  With the ever increasing numbers of baby-boomers reaching the age of retirement (or second childhoods), the numbers of these customized vehicles have also been on the increase.

Although new vehicles have exhaust systems mandated to meet federal noise control standards, many drivers alter the equipment by replacing or removing the original system.  This action makes it illegal to operate the vehicle on public streets anywhere in Colorado.  The resulting noise can be heard and often times felt a substantial distance away.

The Golden Police Department trained the patrol staff on enforcing the law concerning illegal mufflers.  The information below states the Traffic Code which is enforced.

Colorado Model Traffic Code:  MTC 225. Mufflers - prevention of noise.

(1) Every motor vehicle subject to registration and operated on a highway shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no such muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cut-off, bypass, or similar device. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and such original muffler shall comply with all of the requirements of this section.

Special Notation:  This section of the Model Traffic Code is also verbatim prohibited in the State of Colorado Revised Statutes under title 42-4-225.  The City of Golden has adopted this law for enforcement as part of the Model Traffic Code.  The Golden City Council has set the fine, paid to the city, at $100 for the first violation.

The “Silence-is-Golden:” Ride & Drive Community-Friendly Partnership, is a community partnership program which began in May of 2008.  This program created a cooperative with the businesses and local events that specifically attract custom vehicle operators.  There are three equally important components of this partnership: 1) Educating motorists that they are expected to ride and drive quietly; 2) Engineering through restoring the legal exhaust system to include baffles, or ride quietly enough that the vehicle doesn’t draw police attention (police won’t be looking for illegal exhausts but they will be listening for them); 3) Enforcing the law and issue traffic citations to motorists who draw audible attention to their illegal mufflers.

The City of Golden will continue to welcome custom vehicle motorists and hope that all will enjoy their visit while they ride and drive in a community-friendly manner.