Got a noisy muffler? Here’s how much it could cost you in Lexington

The Lexington Police Department is cracking down on noisy mufflers in the town. The department has received multiple complaints about mufflers, spokesperson Cameron Mortenson said, so officers will be extra vigilant in the coming weeks.

The whizzing, roaring, hissing of the mufflers in question could be a result of two things, Mortenson said: someone let their muffler fall apart or someone altered the muffler to make it extremely loud.

He said the trend of groups of people altering their vehicles in the same way — adding lights on the undercarriage or on top of the vehicles or, in this case, making mufflers so loud they rattle people’s windows — isn’t new.

“It’s a way to get attention,” he said.

But there are mufflers blasting through the town of about 21,000, waking people up or just being generally disruptive by releasing excessive fumes. So police are stepping in, trying to get drivers in the area to comply.

An officer will likely write a citation for faulty mufflers “with the anticipation the person will get it fixed,” Mortenson said.

If it’s fixed in the two to three weeks before a court date and the vehicle owner brings proof, the citation and $232.50 fine will be dismissed. Cited drivers can also ask for a continuance in court if they need more time to make repairs or undo alterations. Typically, citations are dismissed or reduced, Mortenson said.

So if you have a noisy muffler, “this would be a great time to fix it,” he said, because officers will have a “concentrated focus on these.”

Correction: This article previously stated the population of Lexington is 4,000. This is incorrect. The population of the town is about 21,000.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 10:50 AM.