Crackdown on Loud Car Stereos Urged

The Torrance City Council has voted unanimously to send a letter to the state Assembly endorsing a bill that would cite drivers who play car stereos too loudly.

The decision follows a letter to the council from a group of residents near Torrance Beach who said they are annoyed almost daily by noisy car stereos.

Councilman George Nakano had asked the city staff last week to study ways to regulate or cite drivers with “boom box” stereos. The staff recommended council support of a bill authored by Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento) that would make it a violation of the state Vehicle Code to play a car stereo louder than 82 decibels. (Noise from a busy street may be rated 70 to 80 decibels.)

Irene Ishizaka, an aide to Isenberg, said the bill is being held in committee because the decibel limit is difficult for police to enforce without a sound meter, and the bill leaves unclear what the penalty would be for a violation.

City Atty. Kenneth Nelson said the city is aware of the bill’s problems but supports it in principle.