Shhhhh! The noise cameras are listening!
More than a year after the governor of New York Statelegalized noise camera technology for enforcement of traffic laws and noise standards, we now see reports thatNew York City is introducing these cameras to public streets. The result? If you’re running loud pipes, it could get to be very expensive.
What’s a noise camera?
Like we’ve told you before, a noise camera works along the same lines as a speed camera—it detects a traffic offense, and mails a ticket to whoever owns the vehicle. Instead of a radar sensor like a speed camera, the noise camera has a microphone array connected to the photo sensor. A computer algorithm determines which vehicle in the photo was responsible for the offending noise, and auto-mails a ticket to the vehicle’s registered owner.
These cameras have been under development for almost 20 years now, and have seen quite a few trials in Canada and Europe over the past years.
As for New York’s program, here’s how the state government described its setup, when introduced back in 2022:
The sound meter and camera are installed adjacent to the roadway and are activated when they detect a noise at a distance of 50 feet or more that registers at or above 85 decibels. At that point a video is captured of the vehicle emitting the noise. DEP noise enforcement staff review the videos and mail a Notice to the owner of the vehicle. Currently, the Notice directs the owner to bring the vehicle to a DEP facility for an inspection to ensure it is in compliance with state and city noise requirements. Penalties under the program can range from $220 for a first offense to $2,625 for a repeated default. The camera is posted approximately 15’ above the roadway and thus the only identifying information captured on the video is the vehicle’s license plate. The program complies with the City’s Privacy Protection Policies.
What next?
In New York City, tickets issued by the new cameras start at a $800 fine for the first offense,says CBS. If you keep riding past the camera with loud pipes, the cost can go up, up up: The max fine is $2,625, as set by the state. How many tickets will be handed out? Will we see an anti-camera campaign start up as a result,like we see in the UK? It will be interesting to watch, because the decibel level set by these cameras does seem pretty low, and will probably catcha lotof riders.
