Camera to catch noisy drivers who rev engines

A NEW noise-detecting traffic camera will be set up in Birmingham to crack down on boy racers revving engines and using illegal exhausts.

The mobile scheme, which is being tried in various parts of the country, is part of a £300,000 trial designed to track road users who destroy the peace.

The camera will be installed in Rubery as well as Keighley,

Bristol and Great Yarmouth, which all won a nationwide competition to host the trial.

The scheme will target some of the loudest streets in Britain, the government said.

The new technology uses a video camera in conjunction with a number of microphones to accurately pinpoint excessively noisy vehicles as they pass by.

If drivers break the law by revving their engines unnecessarily or are 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.

Experts say the annual social cost of urban road noise, including lost productivity from sleep disturbance and health costs, has rocketed in recent years, putting it at £10 billion.

Transport Secretary AnneMarie Trevelyan said: “Rowdy road drivers beware – these new cameras will help the police clamp down 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.”