Crackdown on nuisance car noise stalls

THE Government’s noisy car crackdown is being held up amid concerns the technology could be challenged in the courts.

Research by the Department for Transport (DfT) found that while sound-sensitive cameras were capable of detecting cars breaching legal noise limits, they struggled to tell if it was the result of aggressive driving.

Chris Grayling, the former transport secretary, promised in 2019 to roll out the new cameras to crack down on “nuisance drivers” making people’s life “a misery”. A number of French cities, including Nantes and Toulouse, have also installed sound-detecting cameras to automatically fine noise drivers.

Since Mr Grayling’s announcement, UK noise camera technology has undergone a series of trials where it has been deployed at various sites to see if it can detect vehicles being driven in a purposely noisy way.

A trial of the technology said that the cameras were able to accurately identify the noise levels coming from different models of car as long as they were on a clear road in clement weather conditions. However, they struggled in other conditions and the cameras also found it hard to get accurate readings for motorbikes.

The report warned that while the cameras could detect the general noise level emanating from a vehicle they could not tell if it was caused by aggressive driving.

The report concluded the technology would need to be developed further to get more nuanced readings and that more trials should be conducted before the cameras are deployed for use.