Some Delivery Riders Illegally Modify Motorcycles, Amplifying Noise
Blue House National Petition Requests Noise Crackdown
Loud Roaring Day and Night... "Can't Sleep," Citizens Complain
On the afternoon of the 12th of last month, when the Level 4 social distancing measures were implemented in the Seoul metropolitan area, delivery motorcycle riders were busy navigating through the city. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] "It is really too noisy." , "I wish they would enforce the regulations properly."
Some delivery riders are illegally modifying their motorcycle mufflers to produce loud noises while driving recklessly, causing citizens to be outraged. The noise they generate while operating is known to be 100 decibels (db). This is comparable to the noise level experienced at a railroad crossing when a train passes by (110db), disturbing citizens' sleep and causing severe stress. Some residents suffer greatly, closing their windows to block out the noise during the hot summer.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's vehicle registration status report, the number of registered two-wheelers nationwide increased by about 52,000, from 2,236,895 in 2019 to 2,289,009 last year. As the number of motorcycles increased, noise complaints also rose. According to Seoul's noise and vibration complaint statistics, road traffic complaints (including delivery motorcycles) increased by 56%, from 139 cases in 2019 to 217 cases last year.
On a local community cafe in Gyeonggi Province, opinions such as "I really live with the door closed because of the motorcycle noise. I want to open the door to enjoy the cool air at night, but there are so many motorcycles that it is very stressful," and "I have been reporting since early this year. I don't understand the meaning of reporting at all. Now I am at a loss about what to do," have been expressed.
In addition, when summarizing citizens' opinions on motorcycle noise complaints, apartment residents pointed out that riders often cut through apartments to shorten delivery times when delivering to places other than actual delivery destinations.
As a result, some apartments in Busan last month banned the passage of delivery motorcycles as the number of residents complaining about noise increased. Apartment A blocked motorcycle access through the back gate on weekdays from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting from the 12th of last month, and Apartment B closed access from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.
However, voices are calling for strengthening practical regulations to solve problems such as noise rather than restrictive closures that block passage. College student Lee (26) said, "Since I live in a neighborhood with many students living alone, delivery motorcycles run nonstop day and night," adding, "I understand delivery, but I cannot understand using motorcycles that make loud noises."
The noise of motorcycles modified to produce loud sounds is 100 decibels (db), similar to the level experienced at a railroad crossing when a train passes (110db). According to Article 81 of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, drivers who illegally modify motorcycles without approval face imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.
According to the Noise and Vibration Control Act, the maximum exhaust noise for motorcycles is 105db. However, there are criticisms that this noise regulation standard is too high, making it difficult to impose actual penalties even if the noise is loud because it does not exceed the standard.
The current domestic noise standard is based on the 1990s Japanese standard, but Japan lowered this standard to 96dB in 2009. Some states in the United States have set the upper limit for exhaust noise regulation at 99dB. Accordingly, there are increasing calls to adjust the standards in Korea to reflect these changes over time.
Related petitions have also been posted. A petition titled "Motorcycle (two-wheeler) noise crackdown," posted on the 9th of last month, received over 2,400 signatures.
The petitioner said, "Every summer when it gets hot like now, I cannot live with the veranda door or windows open because of motorcycles shaking the ground and roaring," adding, "When a motorcycle passes by in the middle of the night, the noise startles me awake from sleep frequently, causing a lot of stress that is hard to express in words."
He continued, "According to the current noise law, enforcement cannot be carried out unless the noise exceeds 105db. Honestly, as an ordinary citizen, I do not really know how loud 105db motorcycle noise is," he said.
He added, "It was an enormous roar that naturally made people cover their ears, but I was frustrated that it could not be enforced," and "In such cases, all we can do is ask them to ride a little less noisily," he said.
Amid ongoing demands for continuous revision of current laws, on the 22nd of last month, a partial amendment bill to the Noise and Vibration Control Act was proposed. It newly established a legal clause to separately regulate noise allowance standards for vehicles including two-wheelers in residential areas, and to implement this by presidential decree so that the competent authorities can adjust the standards to fit common realities. Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party who sponsored the bill, stated, "We expect that the enforcement of this bill will alleviate the suffering of residents in residential areas caused by motorcycle noise."
Experts emphasized the need to review motorcycle noise standards. Professor Kim Pil-soo of the Department of Automotive Studies at Daelim University said in an interview with TBS News, "It is true that voices calling for lowering the noise allowance are growing," adding, "It would be appropriate to change the method to measure noise during operation and lower the current standard by about 10 decibels."
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