If you like to drive with loud music, avoid Florida. NBC 6 South Florida reports that a new state law came into force on 1 July that could affect many drivers, especially those who like music.
From 1 July, drivers in Florida can be fined up to 114$ for playing music in their cars. The new law essentially bans loud music in a car if it can be heard 25 feet away. This means that a policeman sitting behind you can fine you if he hears your music from his patrol car.
The law is stricter in places such as schools and churches. However, when you start looking at the law, it becomes unclear. The law is based on the claim that drivers who listen to music too loudly cannot hear ambulances. Of course, emergency vehicles are not covered by the law either.
However, the grey area is the part of the law that does not cover commercial or political “sound devices” (subsection 316.3045 3). This seems to mean that I’ll get fined for playing Kendrick Lamar too loudly, but some guy advertising his carpet cleaning business through a sound system or megaphone, or a political candidate driving around with loudspeakers blasting out “vote for me” won’t be touched.
Image credits: Odette Ion on Unsplash
