Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced plans to deploy noise cameras to catch and fine drivers of excessively loud vehicles, aiming to 'banish the boy racer'. The cameras will automatically detect vehicles breaking legal noise limits and provide real-time reports to police, enabling more targeted enforcement.
A £300,000 trial will be conducted in four areas of England and Wales, chosen via a competition for the noisiest streets. The technology, developed by Atkins and Jacobs, can identify individual vehicles and assign noise levels to them. Preliminary testing has shown promising results.
Drivers with illegal exhausts or modified silencers currently face a £50 on-the-spot fine, but enforcement is difficult due to lack of evidence. The new cameras aim to automate the process, freeing up police resources. The Department for Transport notes that long-term noise pollution is linked to health issues like heart attacks and stress, and that deprived areas are disproportionately affected.
AA president Edmund King welcomed the initiative but cautioned that street racers might simply move to areas without cameras. John Stewart of the UK Noise Association said residents have long complained about noisy vehicles and will hope their streets are selected for the trial. Westminster Council already uses noise cameras in some areas to combat dangerous driving and noise complaints.
