Petition · past parliament · Department for Transport

Strengthen law on MOT car exhaust noise level checks

Closed 43 signatures

What the petition asks

Modifying an exhaust to make it louder than when the car was manufactured is illegal in the UK but this can be flagrantly breached causing blight on people's lives and particular risk to horse riders.
The law should be strengthened to ensure that MOT testing centres test the exhaust volume with appropriate equipment, based on the decibel limit of each individual car's exhaust when manufactured as provided by the DVSA.

There should also be higher penalties for testing centres who fail in this duty, and for drivers whose car exhausts have been modified to become louder.

Not only are illegal exhausts antisocial and blight the lives of many but terrorises horses long before the driver can be aware that a horse is affected. A bolting horse not only puts the life of the rider and horse at risk but also any other road user that it may crash into.

Timeline

12 Oct 2020 Petition opened for signatures
12 Apr 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 43
Status Closed
Department Department for Transport
Opened 12 Oct 2020
Closed 12 Apr 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.