The British Department of Transport is set to initiate a seven-month trial of ‘noise cameras’ aimed at curbing the decibel levels of vehicles and motorbikes on the road.

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Essentially a crackdown on modified cars and ‘hoon’ behaviour, the laws are said to be an attempt by the transport department to deal with excessive noise that “makes lives of people in communities across Britain an absolute misery”.

Numerous locations have been selected across the country to test out the new camera/microphone coupling; however, no fines will be issued in the seven-month trial. If the outcome of the reported plan is deemed successful, it could be rolled out nationwide.

Interestingly, the level at which a vehicle/motorbike is considered to be illegal has not yet been confirmed despite the existence of a working prototype device.

To catch offending motorists and their loud exhausts, a microphone is fitted to an existing speed camera. In much the same way a traditional camera works, it then captures the passing vehicle’s registration and relevant images via the camera and automatically issues a notice to the owner.

The current legal noise limit for a car in the UK is 74 decibels (that figure is mirrored in Australia for passenger cars). Motorbikes, which have a higher dB limit, aren’t exempt from the proposed plan either.

Supporters of the scheme say that noise pollution can cause myriad health issues such as heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, stress and high blood pressure.

The move is set to target “boy racers in souped-up vehicles”, so tell us what you think. Would this system be worthwhile in Australia or is it merely white noise?