(HorizonPost.com) – To crack down on noisy vehicles, the New York City Council on Wednesday approved a measure to establish a citywide program to install noise cameras in all five boroughs of the city, WABC reported.
The “Stop Spreading the Noise Act” seeks to tamp down on loud traffic by installing cameras capable of detecting when a driver breaks the city’s noise limit.
According to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, seven cameras have already been covertly and strategically installed, and are already in operation. Any vehicle sound that exceeds 85 decibels, or about as loud as a lawn mower, will activate the noise camera which will then record the vehicle’s license plate.
A ticket will then be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle with fines ranging from $800 to $2,500.
The “Stop Spreading the Noise Act” targets vehicles with modified mufflers, loud motorcycles, as well drivers who excessively honk the horn.
Experts claim that constant exposure to loud noises can lead to elevated stress and difficulty sleeping.
By the end of November, the city had already issued 218 violations for modified mufflers and 147 violations for excessive honking.
Council member Keith Powers, who sponsored the legislation, hopes to have noise cameras installed in all five boroughs by 2025.
The city expects to have at least five cameras installed in each borough by September 30, 2025.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection, the number one quality-of-life complaint among the public is the noise from “illegally modified cars and trucks.” The department said in a statement that the noise cameras already installed have proven “very popular in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.”
Officials plan to review the noise complaint calls to NYC311 to determine the areas with the greatest number of complaints and prioritize installing noise cameras in those areas.
However, critics of the program have expressed concern over the risk to privacy from the new technology.
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