Nicky Wagner
National Party MP

12 December 2007

Duynhoven gives green light to boy racers

National MP Nicky Wagner is alarmed that instead of tightening rules around noisy exhausts, the Transport Safety Minister appears to have given boy racers licence to make more noise.

“The Government is attempting to pull the wool over the eyes of the public by dressing the changes up as a positive move, when in fact they make it easier for boy racers to modify their cars.”

Ms Wagner is responding to an announcement by Harry Duynhoven that cars and light trucks entering the New Zealand vehicle fleet after June 2008 will need to comply with a reduced noise limit of 90 decibels.

All existing cars will have a new level of 95 decibels.

“Under this proposal, all cars and light trucks presently on the road that are supposed to meet the 91 decibel level required by legislation passed in 1976, can automatically ramp up their noise levels to 95 decibels.

“Even after June next year, new cars will be allowed to be modified because most of them will arrive in New Zealand under international regulations which set noise levels at 84 - 86 decibels.

“The rest of the world is trying to shut down noisy vehicles. Australia has reduced noise levels twice and now has a maximum decibel level of 84 – the same as Europe.

“But this Government is encouraging muffler modification and giving boy racers the green light to go for it.

“Harry Duynhoven has acknowledged that ‘there are too many excessively noisy vehicles on New Zealand roads which annoy and distress the public and can cause detrimental economic and health effects, particularly associated with sleep deprivation and stress’.

“He clearly understands the problem but is instead choosing to insult all Kiwis who are affected by this issue by failing to introduce effective changes.

““Get back to the drawing board Minister.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media