Plainly audible means what?

• A. It must be heard inside the vehicle
• B. It is clearly audible at the specified distance
• C. It must be twice as loud as ambient noise
• D. It requires a visual cue

Answer: (B)

Plainly audible means the sound is clearly heard at the distance specified in the statute. It’s an objective threshold used in enforcement: if a officer at that stated distance can clearly hear the sound under normal conditions, it meets the standard. If the sound is only audible up close, or it’s muffled and not clearly heard from that distance, it does not. It doesn’t require being heard inside a vehicle, nor a specific loudness ratio above ambient noise, and there’s no need for a visual cue. In short, plain audible = clearly heard at the fixed distance described by the law.