Ask NOW: Cars blaring loud music irritate reader

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Cars blaring loud music are irritating

Issue: A reader has noticed cars driving through her neighborhood playing loud music. She wants to know if drivers can get a noise violation for this behavior.

Status: Joe Mozina, City of Brookfield Police Department sergeant, said drivers can't get a noise violation but they can get a traffic citation. He explained that a driver can't play music at a volume that can be heard from 75 feet away or more, according to state statute.

If a police officer observes a violation of this law, he can issue a citation. Mozina said this is a hard rule to enforce; he has given drivers warnings but has never given a ticket for this violation.

Mozina also pointed me to Wisconsin Statute 346.945, which says if a member of the public witnesses a violation of this rule, he can prepare a written report including the time and place the violation happened, the license plate number and color of the vehicle in question, and whether the vehicle is an automobile, truck, bus, motorcycle or other type of vehicle. The report must be delivered to a traffic officer within 24 hours and the officer will investigate within 48 hours of receiving the report.

BrookfieldNOW.com

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