A search for Gedling borough‘s noisiest streets has been launched to trial new technology to help “banish the boy racer” revving engines unnecessarily or using illegal exhausts.
Local MPs Tom Randall and Mark Spencer are being invited to submit applications to trial new innovative noise cameras in their local area.
The cameras will provide evidence for police to take action against rowdy motorists, helping communities to enjoy peaceful public and residential spaces.
Four areas in Wales and England will be chosen to take part in the trial of the innovative noise cameras.
The 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.
Police have existing powers, including the ability to issue fines, but currently have trouble gathering evidence.
The latest phase of noise trials builds on a three-year programme to perfect the technology.
Research shows noise pollution can have significant impacts on physical and mental health for local residents – with heart attacks, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stress all linked to long-term contact with loud environments.
Excessive noise pollution can mean children struggle to get a good night’s sleep and hardworking people’s lives are made more stressful.
In England alone, the annual social cost of urban road noise was estimated to be up to £10 billion a decade ago.
This is the total economic cost of exposure to noise pollution, including lost productivity from sleep disturbance and health costs from heart attacks, strokes and dementia.
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 can provide real-time reports that police can use as evidence and may result in more targeted and efficient enforcement methods to crack down on noisy motorists.
By testing this tech in rural and urban areas, the public can help develop the new road technology.
The trial led by the Atkins-Jacobs Joint Venture is formed by the 2 professional services firms to provide technical consultancy including acoustics expertise, design, modelling and asset management.
Highway authorities will be able to automate noise enforcement and get on top of the problem without using up valuable police resources.
Existing legislation requires exhausts and silencers to be maintained in good working order and not altered so as to increase noise.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 42) the potential penalty for non-compliance with these requirements is a £50 on-the-spot fine.
The announcement today (30) follows preliminary testing of a prototype noise camera by DfT back in 2019, which showed the technology can identify individual vehicles in certain circumstances and assign noise levels to them.
Noise Abatement Society chief executive Gloria Elliott OBE 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.”
Look, it’s not just noise, it’s anti social behaviour in general. It’s the chavs who every weekend as soon as the sun shines play their HipHop Drill rap at full volume full of expletives. They burn the contents of their wheelie bin every tea time on sunny hot days to name a couple or the grass cuttings. Complain to the Council and they do sweet FA and still it continues. Save the dosh on this and employ a few more wardens to go round and slap some real fines on them.