A noise-detecting camera designed to catch so-called boy racers has begun trials as part of a drive to cut anti-social behaviour.
Initially deployed in the Keighley area of Bradford, West Yorkshire, it will be moved to Birmingham, Bristol and the Norfolk town of Great Yarmouth over the next two months.
The idea comes after growing concerns over noise pollution from motorists revving engines and using illegal exhausts to disturb nearby residents.
The device includes a camera to record an image of the vehicle and microphones to detect its noise level, forming a “digital package of evidence” which can be examined by police in order to issue fines, according to the Department for Transport (DfT) report.
The technology was developed at a private test track to determine its accuracy.
Road noise can contribute to significant health problems including heart attacks, strokes, dementia, and it is estimated the annual cost of the impact of urban road noise on health is equivalent to £10 billion, according to the DfT.
The Transport Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “Rowdy road drivers beware – these new cameras will help the police clampdown on those who break the legal noise limits or use illegal modified exhausts to make excessive noise in our communities.”
Ms Trevelyan added: “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.”
te camera is first being used in Keighley, West Yorkshire
Road regulations say vehicle exhausts and silencers are expected to be appropriately maintained and not altered to increase the level of noise produced. A lack of compliance could lead to a £50 on-the-spot fine.
The chief executive of the Noise Abatement Society, Gloria Elliott, said: “Excessively noisy vehicles and antisocial driving causes disturbance, stress, anxiety and pain to many.”
“Communities across the UK are increasingly suffering from this entirely avoidable blight,” she added.
London’s Westminster Council has already implemented the noise cameras in the areas around Waterloo Place and Exhibition Road.
This was in response to long-term problems with noise and dangerous driving, such as cars performing loud doughnut manoeuvres in the early hours of the morning.