How loud can your radio or sound system be in Oregon before it becomes a violation?
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A.
It must not be audible 100 feet away.
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B.
There is no specific Oregon limit; volume is governed only by local noise ordinances.
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C.
It must not exceed 80 decibels at any distance.
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D.
It must not be audible 50 feet away from the vehicle. Correct
The answer is "It must not be audible 50 feet away from the vehicle."
Oregon law makes it illegal to play a radio or other sound system so loud it can be heard 50 feet away from your vehicle. The rule exists so you can still hear horns, screeching tires, and sirens that warn you of approaching hazards. Choice A doubles the distance to 100 feet, the figure some drivers carry over from other audibility-based noise rules; Oregon's number is 50 feet, not 100.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. It must not be audible 100 feet away.
The threshold is 50 feet, not 100. This answer doubles the distance specified in the Oregon manual. Doubles the 50-foot audibility distance to the 100-foot figure drivers carry over from other audibility-based noise rules.
B. There is no specific Oregon limit; volume is governed only by local noise ordinances.
Oregon has a state-level rule: the sound must not be audible 50 feet from the vehicle. Assumes car-stereo volume falls under general municipal noise complaints, as most non-driving noise does, and misses that Oregon codifies a specific driving rule.
C. It must not exceed 80 decibels at any distance.
The rule is the 50-foot audibility test, not a decibel measurement. Reaches for the decibel readings used in workplace or industrial noise standards, missing that Oregon's driving rule is an audibility-at-distance test rather than a meter reading.
This question tests your knowledge of Distracted Driving in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Distracted Driving," p.80..
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