Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) and Victoria Police have conducted a roadside operation targeting noisy vehicles in Lygon Street, Carlton, and found one of the loudest motorcycles EPA staff had ever heard.
The weekend operation tested 13 cars and four motorcycles, and found all of them failed to comply with vehicle standards for noise emissions under the Environment Protection (Vehicle Emissions) Regulations 2013.
The loudest vehicle tested was a modified Harley Davidson motorcycle that recorded a reading of 124 decibels (dB), which is 30 dB above the legal limit for that machine. Thirty dB higher means a volume that sounds several times as loud as the legal limit, and is loud enough to affect people in the street and nearby homes.
Twelve of the drivers and riders can expect a fine of nearly $800 each, and five more will receive an official warning.
Four more drivers who passed by in noisy cars during the joint operation will also be receiving an official notice in the mail. EPA officers noted their registration numbers and will issue a notice requiring each one to take the vehicle to an EPA approved vehicle noise tester and acquire a certificate of compliance to prove their vehicle meets legal noise limits. Those who fail to comply with the notice may also face a fine.
EPA Executive Director Tim Eaton says the limits are designed to protect the community from unreasonable levels of noise, and driving an excessively noisy vehicle can cost the motorist a fine of nearly $800.
“In a busy inner city area like Carlton, noisy vehicles can interfere with people’s enjoyment of shopping, cafes or just going about their lives in their own neighbourhood, including getting a good night’s sleep,” Mr Eaton said.
“You can report a noisy vehicle at your local police station, and if a police officer assesses the vehicle as being too noisy, it will be referred to EPA, which may issue the vehicle owner with a notice requiring that it be sent for testing,” he said.
“The provisions for unreasonable noise in the Environment Protection Act 1970 also apply to vehicles on residential premises, such as a car left running in the driveway.”
“The rules apply to motorcycles too, and drivers and riders who choose to modify their machines leave themselves open to enforcement action from EPA and Victoria Police if their vehicles are identified to be too loud,” Mr Eaton said.
The team will be doing more testing in other suburbs in the coming months.