If you ride 4-wheelers, it is important for you to know the level of
decibels your 4-wheeler puts out as well as the legal limit (if any) in
your favorite riding areas. In Oregon for example, the legal amount of
noise decibels on your 4-wheeler is 99.
For those who don't know, a noise decibel is a unit used on 4-wheeler's
as well as anywhere else, to measure the sound intensity on a scale of
zero to approximately 130, which is the average pain level in the human
ears. In order to accurately understand the amount of 99 decibels,
which is, once again, the legal limit on 4-wheeler's, it is helpful to have
something to compare it to.
A whisper is about 30 decibels, 60 decibels is the same amount of noise
as an average conversation. At 70 decibels, you can place yourself in an
average restaurant setting. 80 decibels is comparative to running a
garbage disposal. At only 85 decibels, you run the risk of ear damage.
As previously mentioned, 99 is the average state legal limit for
4-wheeler riders. 100 decibels is in the range of a baby crying. 120 decibels
puts you in the same noise realm as attending a rock concert. The human
ear pain threshold is at 135 decibels.
Most state and national forests will require that you have a noise
muffler in place prior to riding your 4-wheeler on their lands. Avoid the
annoyance of a citation and find out what the noise levels are in your
state.
