The City of Toronto is the latest Canadian city to take new steps to combat noise pollution. The city's police will be focusing on areas that have received the most complaints in order to focus on the loudest vehicles.
“We are focussing here and on a few areas in Scarborough, including Kingston Road and Birchcliff Avenue,” said Toronto Police Superintendent Scott Baptist. “There have been many complaints going to city councillors and they want us to do something about the loud car stereos and cars, trucks, and motorcycles exhausts emitting sound to the extent that it disturbs patrons at a restaurant, nearby residents, and other motorists on the roadway.”
Baptist said that engines revving and tires squealing are associated with dangerous or stunt driving, putting other road users at risk.
The World Health Organization says that excessive noise, like traffic noise, "seriously harms human health." It can interfere with sleep and cause cardiovascular and psycho-physiological effects.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said that many residents complain about the noise, especially from modified vehicles. Tory said such “inconsiderate conduct” has no place in the city and is “indefensible,” The Star reports.
While excess noise is currently a $110 ticket, the city is planning new bylaws. The new rules come into effect October 1, 2019, and add more specific regulations about prohibited types of noise. For example banning "unnecessary motor vehicle noise," including revving, horns, squealing tires, or similar. They're also banning "the emission of sound resulting from the repairing, rebuilding, modifying, or testing of a vehicle," from 9 PM until 7 AM. Motorcycles will be banned from emitting "any sound exceeding 92 dB(A) from the exhaust outlet as measured at 50 cm, while the motorcycle engine is at idle."
Toronto isn't the only city taking these measures. The City of Edmonton said earlier this year that it would be taking new measures to combat vehicle noise, including using cameras and staffed noise-monitoring devices to give more evidence against noisemakers.
The City of Halifax has asked the government of Nova Scotia to change laws to reduce vehicle noise, especially from motorcycles, as the city is not permitted to do that using bylaws.
