Calgary city council says it is going to be cracking down on noisy vehicles, calling them a public health hazard that “has adverse health effects on residents.”
In a unanimous vote on Monday, city councillors approved bylaw changes that include a new definition of “objectional noise” as any sound from a vehicle that “annoys or disturbs any reasonable person.”
That noise could include squealing tires, modified parts, an amplified stereo or a car alarm lasting for more than a minute.
“I am delighted that we can finally hold the incredibly anti-social behaviour of extra-loud vehicles and their owners to account,” said ward 9 councillor Gian-Carlo Carra.
Ward 8 councillor Courtney Walcott, who spearheaded the changes, said he is “overjoyed to better monitor noise in this city with respect to vehicles.”
The city will also conduct a public education campaign with sites where Calgarians can test their vehicles’ volume. The city is also in the process of creating a traffic safety team to crack down on excessive vehicle noise.
The bylaw amendments would prohibit vehicles from emitting “any sound” exceeding 92 dB while the engine is idle, and 96 dB while the vehicle is in motion.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says that is about the level of sound emitted by a power lawn mower.
Bylaw officers would use a sound level meter to measure the noise at 50 cm from the exhaust outlet or from the rear centre of the vehicle when an exhaust is not visible.
The bylaw also restricts the use of retarder brakes for commercial vehicles.
More information on the changes is available on the City of Calgary website.
–with files from Adam MacVicar, Global News