Ali me lahko ustavijo zaradi preglasnega predvajanja glasbe na Floridi?
Florida ima enega najbolj nenavadnih zakonov v Združenih državah Amerike, ki prepoveduje predvajanje zvoka znotraj 25 čevljev.
To pravilo ne velja samo za zasebne domove, ampak tudi za tiste, ki upravljajo motorna vozila.
V Orlandu je bilo uveljavljanje takšnega zakona s strani policistov izgovor za ustavljanje avtomobilov in preverjanje drog. Če pa smo pozorni na specifikacije pametnega telefona, vidimo, da je 25 čevljev zelo malo, saj je nekatere mobilne naprave mogoče slišati ravno na tej razdalji.
Če vas ustavi policist, boste prejeli minimalno kazen v višini 30 USD in dodatno sodno oceno.
Kakšne so kritične vrednosti za mejno vrednost hrupa?
Florida je prvič začela uveljavljati zakon o hrupu leta 1949. V skladu s starimi zakoni je odlok o hrupu urejala floridska ustava, člen II, oddelek 7.
Skozi desetletja do leta 1996 so bile izvedene različne študije, da bi ugotovili, kateri kritični podatki o hrupu bi bili nevarni za ljudi in okolje.
Državni zakonodajalci so določili, da bo merjenje lestvice določeno v decibelih, velikost pa bo enaka znameniti Richterjevi lestvici. Vendar pa je bilo za pravilno uporabo določbe zakonodaje odločeno, da se za analizo uporabi dvojni sistem, to je decibelov (dB) in hertzov (Hz).
Raziskovalci so ugotovili, da bi bilo za človeka nevarnih 10 decibelov, saj bi pri tem kriteriju človek prejel dvojno količino hrupa.
Zakonodajalci so uvedli obveznost merjenja glasnosti s posebnim merilnikom decibelov in izključno na lestvici A. Pravzaprav ima instrument dve logaritemski lestvici, ki prikazujeta podatke v dB in Hz.
Dolgo časa so potekale študije o negativnih učinkih hrupa na človeško telo, kjer je bila tudi s sodelovanjem državnega pravobranilca izvedena raziskava, ki je privedla do nekonvencionalnih rešitev.
Študije so vključevale podatke, ki so jih opravili znanstveniki, ki so preučevali človeško telo podnevi in ponoči. Znanstveniki so ugotovili, da je motnja za človeško telo ponoči okoli 35 dB, zunaj hiše podnevi pa 50 dB.
Nereguliran hrup, ki te kazalnike poveča za 15 dB, je že prepoznan kot nevaren in kritičen. Ta številka se uporablja za kršitelje, ki poslušajo glasbo v svojih avtomobilih.
Značilnosti uporabe prava
Leta 1999 je peto okrožno pritožbeno sodišče na Floridi (Fifth District of Appeals ali Fifth DCA) razsodilo, da je zakon o hrupu neustaven. Vendar pa nekateri deli države še vedno veljajo, kjer lahko vsak policist ustavi avto zaradi glasne glasbe.
Predvsem peti DCA je zvišal kritične meje zvoka s 25 čevljev na 100 čevljev. Kljub temu je policija v Orlandu ljubitelje glasne glasbe še vedno kaznovala na staromoden način, na podlagi 25 čevljev, saj je menila, da odločitev petega DCA ne velja za njihovo okrožje.
Nekoč je prišlo do prave revolucije, ki je spremenila usodo vseh avtomobilistov v osrednji Floridi. Tako imenovana zadeva Montgomery VS State (Montgomery VS State, 36 FLW D2046 (Fla. 5th DCA 9/16/11)) je končno razjasnila zadevo.
Tožnik s priimkom Montgomery je izpodbijal neustavnost statuta in dokazal sodišču in skupnosti, da je treba nejasni jezik odstraniti, ker »je mogoče jasno slišati z razdalje 25 metrov, kar jasno sliši moj dedek, ki sploh ne sliši."
Sodišče je razsodilo, da "Zakona o hrupu" ne bi smeli razlagati nejasno, uporaba določbe bi morala biti "preširoka."
Because the Act prohibits playing loud music, but it does not prohibit playing that music if there are “business” or “political” reasons. Businesses cannot receive more rights in this case than individuals. That is a provision where businesses are allowed “everything,” and private citizens are not allowed “anything” is a violation of free speech.
Does Loud Music Affect Traffic Safety?
A police officer who records a wrongful death accident caused by loud music, in the report indicates a factor – distracted driving.
Lawmakers in Florida have established a critical noise threshold not only for those around them but also for the driver himself, which must not be exceeded.
Exceeding the number of decibels by 10-15 points results in the driver not hearing the sound of the signal of other accident sections and provokes dangerous moments on the road, leading to a car accident.
This number includes accidents caused by drivers listening to loud music and not responding to other accident sites. In Florida, listening to loud music as an element of distracted driving is considered “auditory distraction,” in which the music prevents the driver from hearing important signals outside the car, such as the horns and sirens of other vehicles.
How to Apply the Provisions of the Noise Law to Motorists?
Since the vague wording of the Act still has its force in Florida, it is customary to assume the following rules.
- It is prohibited to play loud music from a distance of 50 feet, and only at specified times, namely from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Loud music may not be played over 300 feet (such as on a bridge) and may not be played with the windows and doors closed.
- A police officer may give you a “warning” where you must turn off the music within 5 minutes.
- It is forbidden to play music, regardless of distance, near schools and churches.
- Noise law does not apply to agricultural vehicles, ambulances, emergency vehicles, emergency vehicles.
- The law does not apply to the human voice if one drives a car and conducts a sporting event. In this case, the sporting event must be organized and only outdoors.
- Individual counties and cities in Florida have the right to set their own minimums and distances for playing loud music, but the minimum threshold is noted at 25 feet.
If there is clear evidence of a violation of the Act, the police officer, in addition to issuing a “warning”, has in some cases to impound the vehicle.
The first fine will be $30 and additional court costs. A repeat case would face a $500 fine and plus court assessment. Despite the ambiguity of the noise law, the best recommendation is still to improve the soundproofing of your car.
Pay special attention to the soundproofing of the doors because it is the most problematic part of the car, where the loud music comes from.
References and Resources:
https://jgcrimlaw.com/blog/orlandos-loud-music-statute-now-unconstitutional/
https://legalbeagle.com/7221539-loud-party-music-florida-laws.html
https://www.brookslawgroup.com/distracted-driving-statistics-2021/