Sounds like more trouble ahead

[Gas for GOSH]

News on the radio this morning that govt will be trialling “noise cameras” over the next year. Supposedly they now have the technology for a device that detects when a vevicle goes past that exceeds the noise level. Double supposedly the device can detect the exact vehicle responsible and photo the reg plate like a speed camera. Triple supposedly this will then lead to a Fixed Penalty charge being issued. According to the report, however, no decision has been made about what noise level triggers the camera.

Wife sets the alarm for stupid o clock so I woke up to hear this at 6am and in my semi conscious state thought they said this was being introduced to combat “particularly noisy muscle cars”. On the 7am news I heard properly “noisy motorbikes and cars”.

They had some bloke from the countryside saying “souped up cars and bikes are ruining our life”....getting a picture of one car passing a noice camera on a B road is one thing; there is a memorial bike ride (accompanied by police) from Truro each year where you could probably get half a dozen bikes in a static camera shot....maybe half of which have noisy pipes. Going to be some smart camera and enforcement system to make that stick!

Anyhow thought it might interest some of the loud n proud here. Again no defence was mentioned of any difference between an exhaust issued on the vehicle when manufactured or a custom after market upgrade.

[Blue]

You would imagine it would be the MOT guideline which from memory is 90db at X amount of feet away? If that was the case, it might be difficult doing the distance thing with a moving vehicle?

My cars are not loud so of no concern to me really, but some of these modern BMWs and Mercs round here seem to be incredibly loud with all their popping and banging, sounds to me like they have no mufflers at all.

[morgan]

My focus does bang-bangs. There is a button that makes it do it! And thats on a new car !
Now i think about it, it is pretty antisocial. Haha!

[Anthony Montagnani]

Well most of the classic Americans are naturally loud and recently MOT exempt so be interesting to see how this pans out for us but most Harley Davidson bikes are even louder then anything so how’s that gonna work?

[Blue]

Yes I was forgetting about Harleys, most of those just have open pipes, clearly that gets overlooked at MOT...IMO Most american stuff isn't that loud compared to offroad Bikes/quads/Jap/Euro boy racer type stuff.

[DaveB]

Ive bought a decibel meter,because to race at some of the straightliners events are noise restricted.
110db at 2/3rd rpm,so about 4000rpm,1 metre from exhaust tip.
Coronet,440+6 (485hp) flowmaster mufflers is 112db
belvedere 540 (660hp) open headers 120db
06 charger 5.7hemi,stock mufflers 104db
theres always someone to spoil our fun

[Dom66]

I always thought accurate sound level measurement was quite tricky and required some careful control of the immediate environment for reference levels. Hard to see how it could be that accurate given the variables, moving vehicle, moving surrounding vehicles causing reverberations, additional possible external sound sources etc. I could imagine a system like this being used to identify and call in a suspect vehicle for a controlled test, but to issue a fine just on the basis of this system... could make for some interesting court cases if challenged.

Watching, but not worried yet.

[Blue]

I read the other day that ANPR cameras cant read pressed metal number plates? Anyone know for sure if that’s true? If it is then that will be the next thing getting the chop...

[Super Sloth]

I read the other day that ANPR cameras cant read pressed metal number plates? Anyone know for sure if that’s true? If it is then that will be the next thing getting the chop...

Not true, sadly.
I got a speeding ticket in my wifes mk1 Triumph GT6 a few years back which was equipped with pressed black and silver plates.

Your best chance is altering the angle of the numberplate bracket so the plate is legible when stood at the front for the benefit of th rozzers but not legible at the top of a pole where the camera resides!

[Pete]

I got measured at the NEC in the Challenger - Open Headers - at 2,500rpm >>> 121Db; which is the same that Motorhead was recorded, which is nice.

Gives you an idea at the sort of volume we are talking about.

Both My Harleys are a bit meaty too....

[DougieJ]

I read the other day that ANPR cameras cant read pressed metal number plates? Anyone know for sure if that’s true? If it is then that will be the next thing getting the chop...

As SS says they can still read pressed plates - even the bike ones (assuming they are looking at the rear).

Difference is that while they can see modern plates in all weather's (snow, fog, rain) due to the IR lamps and the reflective nature of the plate. This ability gets lost in those conditions with pressed plates. So just need to drive around in the fog!

Used to use them a lot for vehicle surveys.

[Steve]

I think they can read the compliant pressed black and silver plates but not American style pressed ones as the letters etc are a different size. I only say this because the ANPR at Sainsbuys cant read the plates on my Dodge

[XP29]

I think they can read the compliant pressed black and silver plates but not American style pressed ones as the letters etc are a different size. I only say this because the ANPR at Sainsbuys cant read the plates on my Dodge

The Sainsbury’s here has a plate reader which does not pick up the us style plates we have. The Dartford crossing can read them.

[autofetish]

Nothing seems to be able to read my Angolan number plates

[autofetish]

Also what I thought was interesting is that cars are type approved in a selected mode

Let’s take a new Lamborghini Aventador

In standard street mode (strada) the car is legal but in sport or race mode the exhaust flaps open and it’s illegal