Red Deer motorists with obnoxiously loud trucks or motorcycles are being put on notice.
The City of Red Deer is keeping an eye on an Edmonton pilot project that’s testing the effectiveness of noise detection cameras.
If they work in Edmonton, there will likely be discussions about introducing them here, said Red Deer’s protective services director, Paul Goranson.
Excessive traffic noise — especially during summer — impacts people’s quality of life and ability to enjoy themselves in their yards or on outdoor patios, he added.
Since many people keep their windows open at night during the summer, it could even disturb their sleep.
Police can now pull over and ticket motorists who are suspected of having modified mufflers that emit louder-than-necessary engine sounds.
But Scott Tod, the city’s policing services manager, said without a local decibel threshold, it can be hard for these charges to stick in court.
“B.C. has a provincial decibel level, but Alberta does not,” added Tod, which means that the City of Red Deer would have to pass its own traffic-noise bylaw, with a local decibel level that determines how loud is unacceptable.
Edmonton city police have been measuring vehicle noise levels with a decibel camera, but are not yet at the enforcement stage.
Goranson said some provincial regulations would have to be modified first to allow for ticketing to be done from the evidence collected by noise cameras — the same as is currently done with speed or red-light cameras.
“It’s one of those remarkably anti-social things,” Edmonton Coun. Ben Henderson has stated, expressing frustration about the inability of police to enforce traffic noise rules.
Goranson said the Edmonton pilot project is getting some unintended results: After seeing warning signs that a decible camera is in use, some motorists are actually revving up their engines to be even louder.