EAST LANSING, Mich — East Lansing drivers can once again be pulled over by police for loud exhaust after the city council amended a 2024 ordinance that had banned the practice.
- East Lansing City Council amended an ordinance that banned pretextual stops for certain reasons, like loud exhaust.
- Now, ELPD officers can pull over drivers for loud exhaust.
- Citations for faulty/defective equipment carry a $175 fine.
The city council adopted an ordinance this month that removed loud exhaust from a list of prohibited reasons for East Lansing Police Department officers to conduct traffic stops. The original list was created in 2024 as part of an effort to reduce bias in policing.
WATCH: East Lansing drivers can be pulled over for loud exhaust after council reverses 2024 ban
The change comes after neighbors like Brianna Egan spoke out about the issue at council meetings. Egan said she recorded audio of loud vehicles late one night outside her child's bedroom.
"And this is every night. It's worse on Fridays, and it's worse on Saturdays," Egan said.
Under the new ordinance, East Lansing police can pull over vehicles for loud exhaust even without other traffic violations present. Lt. Adrian Ojerio with ELPD said officers would stop drivers with loud exhaust and inspect their vehicles. Citations carry a $175 fine.
Ojerio said the department will begin enforcement by educating drivers about the change. City officials said the move will mainly target aftermarket modifications that purposefully make exhaust systems louder.
"Every car I had, it had a blown out muffler when I was a kid, and everybody had loud ones and it was 'I couldn't afford to fix it.' And the car was not operable. These are aftermarket situations. We're not talking about people who can't keep their car up. We're really talking about the aftermarket," councilmember Steve Whelan said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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