Good news: the number of Filipinos falling victim to firecrackers during the New Year is steadily on the decline.
Bad news: some of us who can’t bear to celebrate New Year’s Eve without noise of any kind are turning to motorcycles as an “alternative” noise-maker.
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In case you didn't know, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) had set specific standards on the exhaust noise level of vehicles, particularly motorcycles.
According to LTO Memorandum Circular No. 2020-2240, the noise level coming out of a vehicle muffler (silencer) should not exceed 99 decibels when the engine is set at 2,000 to 2,500 rpm. (That's still loud enough by international standards; the World Health Organization defines noise above 65 decibels as noise pollution, while noise levels above 75 decibels are classified as “harmful.”)
And of course, several LGUs here in Laguna province have already passed ordinances banning the installation of loud mufflers in motorcycles, with corresponding fines and even the impoundment of a motorcycle as a penalty.
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Still, loud mufflers have become not just an accessory, but a "status symbol" of sorts among some motorcycle riders. Some who can’t stand the noise, however, believe that loud mufflers – particularly "modified" ones, called “bora-bora” – are part of the Pinoy's typical tendency to show off (magyabang) that they already have a motorbike.
It’s a sort of the extension of the car-centric culture that has taken hold of Filipino society, notwithstanding the fact that most motorcycle owners tend to be on the upper- or lower-middle class scale.
As a night owl who sometimes finds it more conducive to put my random thoughts down during the midnight hours, the revving up of motorcycles in general is sure to ruin my concentration. I just can’t understand why some motorcycle riders have this temerity to rev up their vehicles during the wee hours of the night, when some had to sleep and some had to concentrate on their work.
Speaking of which, due to the ban on loud mufflers, some motorcycle riders had resorted to repeatedly revving up their motorcycles during the New Year’s countdown.
Even that, however, is a bad idea – and not just because of the noise. Some automobile experts have advised against excessively revving up an engine, whether it's a motorcycle or a car, as it could accelerate wear and tear inside the engine and even cause overheating and damage.
And some viral videos now circulating on social media in the aftermath of New Year’s Eve showed the detrimental effects of revving up or “pagbobomba” in motorcycles: poof, the motorcycle suddenly goes up in flames. Thousands of pesos went up to smoke in an instant.
And to those who complain that the ban on mufflers or excessive noise on motorcycles infringes on their right to ownership of a vehicle, here’s the thing: nobody’s prohibiting you from buying a motorcycle. But please remember that you’re not the only one in your neighborhood or on public roads. With ownership comes responsibility – and that includes being considerate to others around us.
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