Drivers who rev their engines and cause other noise nuisance could face a crackdown in parts of the country.
The government announced a new trial targeting “boy racers” who use their cars to create noise issues for others. It comes as ministers vow to improve noise pollution on Britain’s busiest roads, with research showing it can contribute to a range of health problems.
However, only four areas of England and Wales will be chosen to trial the new cameras as part of the £300,000 project. The new technology can automatically detect when vehicles are breaking legal noise requirements, helping provide police and local authorities with the tools and evidence to take action against drivers who flout noise laws.
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The government says that while police already have the power to fine drivers £50 on the spot for such offences, it has difficulty gathering evidence. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We want those in Britain’s noisiest streets, who are kept up at night by unbearable revving engines and noisy exhausts, to come forward with the help of volunteer areas to test and perfect the latest innovative technology. For too long, rowdy drivers have been able to get away with disturbing our communities with illegal noisy vehicles. It’s time we clamp down on this nuisance, banish the boy racer and restore peace and quiet to local streets.
The technology being used in the trial has been developed in the past three years and can provide real-time reports that police can use as evidence. Noise Abatement Society chief executive Gloria Elliott OBE said noise from cars causes huge issues for people who live in areas plagued by it
She said: “Excessively noisy vehicles cause unnecessary disturbance, stress and anxiety to many and, in some cases, physical pain. They disrupt the environment and people’s peaceful enjoyment of their homes and public places. Communities across the UK are increasingly suffering from this entirely avoidable blight. The Noise Abatement Society applauds rigorous, evidence-based solutions to address this issue and protect the public.”
