Image: Sandro Amato / Dreamstime / Delegates at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference have endorsed a resolution calling on the provincial government to adopt a noise camera pilot project aimed at addressing vehicular noise pollution.

By Don Mitchell

loud mufflers

Camera technology seeking to end vehicular noise pollution endorsed by UBCM delegates

Sep 21, 2024 | 10:57 AM

VANCOUVER – Delegates at this week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference called on the province to help reduce vehicular noise pollution using noise-camera technology.

The resolution was submitted by representatives from Port Moody and supported by a Saanich councillor, who was at the forefront of a recent failed noise camera pilot for the island city, which sought to address an issue impacting “public health and community well-being.”

The project calls for specialized cameras equipped with high-definition audio and visual sensors to continuously monitor noise levels and capture violations of local regulations in real time.

“Noise pollution isn’t just an annoyance—it’s a public health issue,” Port Moody Councillor Samantha Agtarap insisted. “Chronic exposure to excessive noise has real consequences for our residents, from sleep disturbances to stress-related health problems, and it disproportionately affects residents who live along busy roads.”

The cameras, which have yet to be given a price tag, would have similar recording capabilities as red light and speed enforcement technology, including the ability to capture photos and video of would-be offenders.

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The technology is not new, with some European cities having employed similar cameras, and Calgary tested out devices in 2011 with mixed results.

Saanich Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff says the resolution seeks a pilot project that would study and deploy the technology in urban areas where high-traffic roads run through residential neighborhoods.

“When you are woken up in the middle of the night by a loud vehicle driving past your window, the vehicle is long gone before you can gather the information needed to make an actionable report to the local authorities,” Phelps Bondaroff explained.

Under B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), all vehicles are required to have mufflers, and the maximum allowable decibel levels (dBA) are based on the class of vehicle involved.

Light-duty vehicles have a threshold of 83 dBA, motorcycles 91 dBA, and diesel-driven heavy-duty vehicles top out at 93 dBA.

Delegates say the resolution primarily calls on provincial politicians to explore the feasibility of using the cameras to target aftermarket exhaust systems.

Current MVA regulations prohibit exhaust alterations by car owners, including “opening or widening” outlets or adding devices that increase noise.