The UK Green Party’s new transport policy is setting international standards with their plan to put a cap on motorcycle noise. The Party states that they would like to introduce speed limiters for large motorcycles and encourage riders to use smaller ones like scooters or mopeds. Other measures would include “strict noise limits”.
The party says it “does not wish to see increased use of motorcycles because they emit pollution and noise and can endanger road users”.
Their goal is to reduce harmful emissions, and their new motorcycle provisions are part of a new policy outline that even goes to show their aim to prohibit cars that can “travel at greater speeds than the majority of EU national maximum speed levels.” They claim that SUVs “are quite unnecessary… and their purchase and use should be discouraged.”
How realistic are these goals? Obviously, the term “green” predicates a healthier planet, but cars that aren’t capable of going over the speed limit could seriously affect the technological innovation that professionals in automotive careers have been seeing in the auto industry lately. Read on to find out more about other noise-free laws for motorcycles.
Noise Limit is Law in Saskatoon
Last year, city council approved amendments to the noise bylaw which will enable officers to ticket drivers with motorcycles louder than 92 decibels. Saskatoon, SK and at least eight other cities in Canada, have adopted the practice of a motorcycle and automobile noise bylaw.
How is law enforcement able to detect noise levels in vehicles for ticketing? Several noise radar devices that work similarly to speed radars have now been tested and implemented across the nation. The technology’s only getting better, so motorists better watch those pipes!
Precautionary Measures
With officials cracking-down globally on noise limits on our city streets, motorists won’t be making as many after-market modifications on their vehicles, especially the addition of massive and booming exhausts. The popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles is certainly helping the cause too, since electric vehicles are the quietest.
There are large motorcycle manufacturers who pride themselves on the straight-pipe exhaust system their motorbikes are built with. The sound they emit is their trademark. The GM of a major Boston motorcycle dealership recently stated that an average of 60-70 percent of riders change their exhaust pipes out shortly after purchasing new motorbikes.
Range of Modifications
For those looking to become a mechanic, the wide-spread implementations of noise bylaws in Canada and the US could mean lots of work ahead.
Along with motorcycles, classic cars built for muscle and sound are also receiving some criticism. In years gone by, straight pipe exhaust systems demonstrated the sound meant to represent the power that the cars’ engine was packing. It’s become more-and-more frowned upon however, to shift your stock exhaust fitted Baracuda noisily into 3rd gear down a street where there are children sleeping.
It seems like graduates of mechanic programs will be seeing more people replace their exhaust pipes to adhere to newer bylaws and make their motorcycles into tamer, quieter rides.
Do you think noise bylaws are helpful or harmful to the automotive industry?
