Lawmaker pushes for bigger penalties for noisy drivers who cruise on Woodward, around Michigan

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Warm weather brings more time outdoors. But for the residents along Woodward Avenue in Oakland County, it brings noise - loud, excessive, blaring noise from cars and trucks driving on Michigan's oldest road. 

Sarah Glonek, who lives in Royal Oak only has one word for it: "Obnoxious."

"It’s just to be loud. It’s to be ‘look at me in my car’ well we can look at your car without needing the noise," she said.

The booming sounds of modified engines from accelerating cars on Woodward Avenue is all too familiar to those that live within hearing distance. It's pretty much constant in the summer months, Glonek said.

"When we moved to this area we thought we were far enough away where we thought it would be an issue, but really from Memorial Day through Labor Day it’s nightly for the most part," she said.

Brenda Allish, who works in Royal Oak is also familiar with the sound.

"They can be loud. They be sounding like motorcycles sometimes or a car back-firing, you know," she said.

The volume of complaints has reached a fever pitch for residents - and now their lawmaker is prepared to do something about it. Rep. Natalie Price, a Democrat, said it's the number one issue her constituents talk to her about.

It's already illegal to modify a vehicle to create excessive noise, she says, but the issue is the penalties aren't harsh enough.

"The police chiefs tells me the current $100 fine is not enough to dissuade people who are participating in this behavior, so we’re increasing the penalty to $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offenses," the lawmaker said.

And when will a potential bill regulating noise go into effect? If approved by the Michigan legislature, residents can expect bigger penalties by the end of the yard - though, not by the Woodward Dream Cruise.