By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – St. Louis City Alderman on Thursday approved a revised bill that penalizes motorists that play excessively loud music on their car stereos.
The new version removes an earlier provision regulating the size of car speakers.
The bill increases the fine for loud music from $100 on a first offense to $250. It also authorizes police to impound the car if the stereo can be heard 75 feet away.
The bill's sponsor, Ald. Craig Schmid (Ward 20), says though the speaker size issue is out, stereo installers still have a responsibility to help enforce the ordinance.
"We can see litter, we can see graffiti, we can see other acts of vandalism, but people don't really understand so much that noise can also be too much," Schmid said Thursday. "I believe they recognize that when it's constantly going by and it shakes your entire car or your house."
The measure passed 19-5. Ald. Stephen Conway (Ward 8) was among the five to vote 'no.' "It's a serious problem to have these tickets, and I'd say a $250 fine or penalty is a pretty stiff penalty from the first offense and $500 for the second," Conway said.