A response to “County council grants Rally on the Rocks permit,” published Aug. 22
I had to chuckle at a quote from Mr. Sean Reddish of WORCS Racing, a co-organizer of the Rally on the Rocks event.
According to the article, in response to several suggestions regarding things that could be done to mitigate the noise from UTVs, Mr. Reddish is quoted as stating, “Noise on a side-by-side, most predominantly the droning noise you hear, is caused by the tires.”
Mr. Reddish’s response implied to me that he feels the droning noise from tires is the noise problem associated with UTVs. Well, Mr. Reddish is indeed correct that tire noise does make it worse, but it is, by far, not the noise that irritates people.
The problem with noise from UTVs is that the exhaust systems are inadequately muffled. They are LOUD. When I’m irritated by the sound of a UTV a mile or so away, or driving past my house, it isn’t the hum of tires that’s bothering me.
If UTV enthusiasts would like to cut in half the complaints they receive concerning their activities, I suggest that they simply muffle them so they’re as quiet as my pick-up and my wife’s Honda Fit are required by law to be.
John Gould, Moab
