Anton McNulty
Boy Racers have been given a final ultimatum to get their modified cars to comply with the regulations or face the full rigours of the law.
Gardaí in Mayo have given ‘boy racers’ with blackened windows and loud exhausts a two week ultimatum to get their cars in order or face fines in exceed of €1,000. The crackdown on boy racers follows the divisional traffic unit’s purchase of a tintman light monitor and a noise level monitor which will be used on all roadside checks.
Inspector Joe Doherty, the head of the divisional traffic unit in Mayo, said the crackdown on noisy exhausts and darkened windows follows concerns raised at community alert and neighbourhood watch meetings around the county.
“The message is clear, the owners and users of cars with blackened out windows and loud exhausts have two weeks to rectify the problem. From June 15, any other detections will be strictly enforced and result in prosecutions,” he said.
The ‘Tintman’ measures the amount of light coming through the windscreen and motorists with cars with less than 65 per cent of light coming through will be prosecuted. A motorist with an exhaust with decibel levels exceeding 99 decibels, which is the noise of a lawn mower, will also be prosecuted.
Inspector Doherty said the gardaí justified this tough stance saying that modified cars with these features were a safety hazard and a nuisance to residents all over the county.
“Blackened out windows are a safety hazard because the driver finds it hard to see in poor light or at night and is a danger to other motorists. The modified and loud exhausts have been a complaint by the public for a long time.”
The penalties facing motorists with these defects on their car are substantial, a fine of €1,000 for the first offence, a €2,000 for a second offence and a third offence within one year could result in a three month prison sentence.
