New 'Noise Cameras' Will Mean Fines For Loud Cars And Bikes
From bus lane cameras to good-old-fashioned speed traps, there are multiple ways for motorists to get papped and fined by the authorities. And soon, there’ll be a new way to get a penalty charge notice landing on your doormat in the UK.
The government’s Department For Transport will be testing acoustic cameras in multiple locations over the next seven months. If a passing vehicle is detected - via a microphone - to be breaching legal noise limits for road usage, a photo will be taken to pick up its number plate.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said that the technology is intended to counter the UK’s police force - which has received various funding cuts over the last few years - being too overstretched to combat “boy racers in souped-up vehicles” breaking noise rules.
However, there’ll also be plenty of motorbikes out there which stand a good chance of setting off such devices. If you’ve been running your cans without baffles, you might want to think about popping them back in quite soon.
Motorcycle Industry Association CEO Tony Cambell said:
“With growing pressure on the environment, including noise pollution, illegal exhausts fitted by some riders attract unwanted attention to the motorcycle community and do nothing to promote the many benefits motorcycles can offer.”
If the test is successful, there’ll be a full rollout of these noise cameras. The UK won’t be the first country to go down this route, however - similar tech is already in use in the USA. Meanwhile in Edmonton, Canada last year, a trial backfired when road users treated systems with decibel noise displays - which the authorities couldn’t yet use to issue fines - as scoreboards…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Stupid. It’ll screw people with properly modified cars. It’ll screw people who cant afford to fix a hole in their exhaust. It’ll screw anyone who uses their horn nearby the noise detector, or is driving at higher revs.
Pure stupidity. But what else did we expect from this government?
What if someone were to blast a loud enough sound into the microphone causing it to book a car that wasn’t breaking the noise limit.
So many inconsiderate comments here. I’m a petrol head living in a town. I don’t want to be woken up at 3am by some anti social chav in a Corsa with no exhaust. In fact I don’t even want to woken up at 3am by a Lambo. There is a time and a place to make noise. A residential area in the evening is not it. These cameras are a great idea for residential areas. As long as they leave country roads free, surely this works for everyone?
Ok, so errr, how loud is too loud?
My car has short gearing, so I’m doing 4.3k rpm on the motorway, and its kinda loud.
And what about active exhausts, or older cars that were loud from factory?
What an awesome world to drive in….
Speed cameras, noise cameras, what next?
WHAT?!
If you beep your horn as you pass does that discount the charge?
In my opinion as a biker, this noise clamp down can have a negative affect on safety. I have aftermarket pipes on my R1, they are loud but not stupid loud. On occasion I feel that my loud pipes have potentially saved my life due to being heard before seen. The pops and bangs on the overrun are enough to grab the drivers attention. Hopefully this will be come into play in heavily built up areas and the country roads will be left alone.
I mean, my overly-sensitive ears and jumpiness to sudden loud noises (such as backfiring) will appreciate this move, so there’s that.
Guys it’s a Chris grayling idea. It’s never going to happen.
Plus as you go past a microphone/camera just put it in a high gear or dip the clutch.
If you get caught put the standard exhaust on and contest the ticket.