Code of Federal Regulations Title 49. Transportation § 49.325.39 Measurement procedure;  highway operations

(a) In accordance with the rules in this subpart, a measurement shall be made of the sound level generated by a motor vehicle operating through the measurement area on the traveled lane of the highway within the test site, regardless of the highway grade, load, acceleration or deceleration.

(b) The sound level generated by the motor vehicle is the highest reading observed on the sound level measurement system as the vehicle passes through the measurement area, corrected, when appropriate, in accordance with the rules in subpart F of this part. (Table 1 in § 325.7 lists the range of maximum permissible sound level readings for various test conditions.) The sound level of the vehicle being measured must be observed to rise at least 6 dB(A) before the maximum sound level occurs and to fall at least 6 dB(A) after the maximum sound level occurs in order to be considered a valid sound level reading.