Police are cracking down on motorcycle noise in Windsor, Ont.
Deputy Chief Jerome Brannigan said officers are on the lookout for altered mufflers that generate excessive or unusual noise.
He said police have laid charges and ticketed 50 people since officers began the crackdown earlier this year. They have experienced a conviction rate of 50 per cent.
Brannigan said the issue isn't unique to the Windsor region.
"It's a country-wide issue, actually it's a North American issue," he said. "I've read all kinds of information in the United States where communities are experiencing very similar, troubling issues with noise."
Patrol officers are still on the lookout for offending bikers. Brannigan said 250 officers took specialized training to make the crackdown effective."We went through the definition of what a straight pipe is and what a gutted muffler is and what a Hollywood muffler is," Brannigan said. "We also gave examples and suggestions on how to articulate unnecessary or unusual noise."
Windsor Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac said loud bikes affect the quality of life in Windsor and that council has received numerous complaints about the noise, particularly at night.
In June 2010, Edmonton passed Canada’s first excessive motorcycle noise bylaw. It focused on engines louder than 92 decibels while idling and 96 decibels while the engine was revving. Police in Edmonton used decibel meters but found they lost cases because of compromising factors such as background noise.
The fine for noise violations under the Highway Traffic Act is $110.
Source: cbc.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment