Noise reduction trials to begin to combat ‘boy racers’

Noise camera trails will take place in Bradford, Bristol, Great Yarmouth, and Birmingham

Author: Majid MohammedPublished 18th Oct 2022

Noise reduction trials will being in fours areas of the country to crack down on ‘boy racers’ revving engines and using illegal exhausts.

A new-age road camera designed to identify and track drivers who break the law by revving engines and using modified exhausts will be installed in Bradford today, before travelling to Bristol, Great Yarmouth and Birmingham as part of a trial to clampdown on antisocial driving.

The trials, backed by a £300,000 investment from the Department of Transport, start in Keighley, Bradford and will then be placed in the other three locations over the next two months.

The new technology uses a video camera in conjunction with a number of microphones to accurately pinpoint excessively noisy vehicles as they pass. This means that if drivers break the law by revving their engines unnecessarily or using illegal exhausts, they will be automatically detected.

The camera takes a picture of the vehicle and records the noise level to create a digital package of evidence which can be used by local police to fine drivers.

Road noise is known to contribute to health problems, such as heart attacks, strokes and dementia, and the annual social cost of urban road noise, including lost productivity from sleep disturbance and health costs, is estimated to be up to £10 billion.

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “Rowdy road drivers beware - these new cameras will help the police clampdown on those who break the legal noise limits or use illegal modified exhausts to make excessive noise in our communities.

"We’ll be working closely with the local authorities and police to share any findings, and I hope that this technology paves the way for quieter, peaceful streets across the country."

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