Night Racing's End? Kurgan Police Deregister Loud Cars

In Kurgan (Kurgan Oblast, Russia), traffic police officers have begun a systematic crackdown on drivers who disturb the peace at night. They are targeting owners of modified cars with illegally altered exhaust systems, said Police Colonel Yuri Filipchuk, head of the Kurgan Region Traffic Police Department.

He explained that in the second half of 2025, traffic police inspectors received special technical equipment — sound meters. If a car roars on the road, traffic police officers stop it and take measurements. According to GOST, the noise level of a passenger car«s exhaust system must not exceed 96 decibels. If the device detects an excess, the driver is immediately issued two administrative citations. The first is for exceeding noise level standards, and the second is for illegally modifying the vehicle»s construction.

«These racers have modified cars. That is, changes were made to the design without our approval, a larger pipe was installed. The manufacturer produced the car with a small-diameter exhaust pipe, so it should not roar the way it does,» said Yuri Filipchuk.

After the citations are drawn up, the materials are sent to the registration department. The car is deregistered from state registration. If an inspector stops such a car again, the license plates and documents are confiscated. The driver faces a fine of 5,000 rubles ($55), and for a repeated violation, license suspension.

To re-register the car, the owner must restore the factory exhaust system and undergo a full inspection at the traffic police. At the same time, on older cars, corrosion of identifying markings is often detected, which can make re-registration almost impossible,« emphasized Yuri Filipchuk.

He added that in 2025, 41 citations were issued to racers, and 19 cars were deregistered.