Please help, super panic regarding loud music and driving

[richard5233]

hi,

today i was at a set of traffic with my music very loud whilst i was sat at traffic lights. I heard someone shout over at me 'i'm reporting it' and looked to see it was a traffic warden. i was just wondering whether they have the power to brandish this an offence?

 

Many thanks for an help!

 

Rich

[dx100uk]

why not, any one can.

 

called noise nuisance.

 

same as a loud exhaust

 

very ignorant behaviour

 

dx

[crem]

very ignorant behaviour

 

and potentially dangerous. If the music was loud enough to be causing offence to neighbouring vehicles, then it undoubtedly was too loud for you to be able to hear other important sounds clearly like car horns and emergency vehicle sirens.

 

keep your loud music in your own bedroom and keep the roads safer by driving responsibly.

[steveod]

Ignore the posters above. The OP didn't come here for your moral opinions. Unless the traffic warden can "prove" that the music was too loud such as he took a recording or can provide another witness to confirm that the music was so loud that to be considered dangerous then it is all subjective and in his opinion so doubt you will receive anything IMO. The traffic warden may have had his hearing aid turned up too much, or may have some personal reason for not liking loudish music.

[Mollierose8]

Here! Here! Oops sorry, could'nt resist, but you are right!

[crem]

Ignore the posters above. The OP didn't come here for your moral opinions.|

 

 

Why are you suggesting he should ignore certain advise? The opinions above were given on safety grounds, not morals and he would do well to heed them.

 

Whether the "loud music accusation", which he freely admits appears to be true, is an offence for which he could be reported is a seperate matter, and some advise on that has already been given. The fact that he is compromising his and other road user's safety due to his antisocial behaviour is a matter for all of us.

[steveod]

Sorry, but you cannot state that he was playing the music too loudly as to be dangerous. His music may have been loud but not so loud to have caused dangerous driving - that is subjective and depends on the situation. Just because some overzealous traffic warden standing at the side of the road next to his open window thinks it is loud does not make it so - if that was the scenario. And in any event, a reasonably good driver would not just rely on the sound but on visual warnings from the blue/red/etc lights from emergency vehicles. And if the playing music a bit too loud was such an issue, then more than 90% of the over 65s would be off the road as their hearing is about 50% less efficient as a younger person.

[jed52]

Speak up steveod, I cant hear you for the music................

jed

[dx100uk]

Sorry, but you cannot state that he was playing the music too loudly as to be dangerous..

 

 

and thus you cannot state it was not.

 

so who should we ignore..............

 

 

dx

[crem]

I'm ignoring Richard 5233 and steveod as I can't think about the original question over the loud music. I am just hoping they wind up their soundproof windows so that I can read the other threads.

[Muffintop]

Have to say we are here to offer advice not chastise and opinionate... from a criminal law prospective there has to be proof without reasonable doubt for cps to take on a trial.. Yes a traffic warden can as anyone else report an offence, (they may be seen to be a pillar of society) I will keep my opinions to myself here. However its their word against yours, and evidence is the key. Did someone else hear the level of your music, witnesses... CCTV with sound unlikely.. what one person deems as loud may be different to another. You may get a NIP from Police who have a duty to investigate any allegations but I cant see it being in the publics interest to take a case to trial that cannot be proven,, unless you admit something.. From a sensible point of view, it could be driving without due care and you do need to think that you need to be able to hear whats going on around you and never wear headphones whilst driving.. hope that helps

[steveod]

as Muffintop says dx.....innocent till proven guilty ( or not playing music too loud as too be dangerous unless proven otherwise - not the other way round, so I can state that the music was not too loud as to be considered dangerous unless proven otherwise). Now lets get back to giving the OP reasonable assistance in the event this traffic warden decides to escalate this, which without additional corraborating evidence I think it may be unlikely the CPS would decide to continue based solely on the evidence of a traffic warden standing close to the open window of the car ( if this was the case ).

[disgruntled2007]

These regs cover the offence:

 

Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986,

 

s79(1)(ga), Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended by the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993,

 

however, they would have to prove it...

[Muffintop]

Again proof is the issue.. so wait for the NIP and then respond with your version of your events.. it is unlikely that someone gave the traffic warden their name and address... unless you were really giving it some noise ... how many days ago was it there is a set period of time to issue NIP. I guess have to just throw in a low baller the nice traffic warden may have recorded the noise on their phone as evidence? do you recall seeing a traffic warden shouting at your over the music? do you even recall the incident? if so were you driving at the time, what was the placement of your vehicle, reason I ask is the traffic warden would have to have a clear unobstructed view of your car and describe the driver.. rv turnball or points to prove. amount, distance, visability, obstruction, known, etc etc. try not to worry about it too much until it happens and you havent had anything yet. Its not an arrestable offence and these days summons if they even get to the stage of Police speaking to you mean that you can go and give your account voluntarily by standalone .. btw always always have a solicitor it costs nothing for legal advice in these circumstances and any trial you may be entitled to legal aid... wait wait for anything to happen as it may not yet, and even if it does you get to put your account over and there has to be evidence for it to go anywhere... oh and dont have your radio really loud in a public place and be sensible with it as if its really loud it does affect your driving... x

 

just noticed first post again, see traffic warden shouted over to you prob to turn music down.. yes anyone has power to report an incident, its whether they take it further and if the police and the cps have anything to take it further.

[jackieandwayne]

I'm not judging because youngsters will do what they will, learn from it and hopefully move on. However, the lesson he should learn never happens to him I hope - my elderly aunt was walking along the road, on the pavement, minding her own business. Two young men in a Ford something or other came screeching round the corner at breakneck speed, MUSIC BLARING, and it startled her so much she lost her balance and fell into the road. As she toppled the gits swerved to avoid her so she fell into the road behind the car, thank god not in front of it. Still broke several bones including her collar bone, can you imagine at over 80? She insists it was the loud thumping beat of the music which startled her and made her lose her balance.

 

So if the op wants to continue playing blaring music to the extent that he goes deaf and affects other road users and pedestrians as well, he might care to think about what happened to Aunti Lil. And how he might feel if it had been him, and he had hit her.

 

In this case, yes the young man was prosecuted and has to take his test again, and that was because a witness got his reg. He didn't stop. I suppose it is possible the warden got your number, but like has been said, it would be a case of what proof is there.

 

Anyway its not a case of people forcing their morals on you - its common sense, and if nothing else, think about the cost of future insurance premiums with a thing like that on your driving licence. People only appear to preach at you because they are older and more experienced drivers who know that if you do A, then B happens (****e basically) and then C (expense and massive inconvenience follows).

 

And I expect my post has come across as "you need your legs smacking you naughty boy!" - well I am a bit grumpy this morning! Better you get your legs slapped now than have to take your test again and all the expense that will involve for you.

[borisbeaver]

As an aside, there was a tv program that investigated the impact on the drivers hearing whos vehicle played loud music constantly. He had a hearing test which concluded that he was going deaf in certain frequency ranges. His reply was to turn those frequencies up on his equaliser!

[richard5233]

Thanks to those of you who were mature enough to give my your factual knowledge and advice and not label me a boy racer, my music was not that loud, the traffic warden was on the other side of a dual carrige way. I doubt I'd have heard him. I dont have an amp or sub or any other speakers in addition to the standard. I never speed, I value my license too much. And before you say 'well you cant that much' my stereo has a max volume of 50 I was listening at 32.

[T.C.]

Firstly, loud music that prevents the driver from hearing what s going on around his/her vehicles has resulted in drivers being reported for failing to maintain proper control and in some cases careless driving. However, these have been in extreme cases where there has been good evidence and it has led to a catastrophic or serious incident, but there is no specific road traffic offence for noisy music.

 

Unless the driver is reported for careless driving, then if there was such an offence of loud music, it would not be an offence for which an NIP would be issued as these are only issued for specific offences. To prove careless driving certain criteria has to be proved, and so the only way noisy music could be attributed to an offence of careless driving would be if something major occured such as a major crash and it was shown that the extreme loudness of the music contributed to that crash. Didn't happen in this case, so no problem.

 

There may be environmental noise pollution issues, but that is not driving related, so again no NIP.

 

But the best of it, is Traffic Wardens are not authorised or qualified to deal with such matters. They have certain powers relating to parking, and maintaining the free flow of traffic, and if they are a proper traffic warden then can also stop and direct vehicles, but that apart, they are very limited as to what they can do.

[Muffintop]

Yup agree with above post good sound advice. not moralistic or preaching if if what if and consequences.. I think this thread has had quite enough of that. Perhaps the owner of the thread has also had some asumptions of his age and boy racer assumed.. I hope this has now put some of your concerns to bed and some of us have helped.

[steveod]

Two young men in a Ford something or other came screeching round the corner at breakneck speed, MUSIC BLARING, and it startled her so much she lost her balance and fell into the road.

 

 

maybe it was that they were driving like idiots and speeding that caused the problem, not the music? just a thought.......