The day of the loud pipe is slowly coming to an end, and it is technology that is killing it. No, I am not talking about the rise of electric motorcycles. Instead, I am referring to noise enforcement cameras.
The idea is about to be tested in France, just outside the Paris Orly airport, and the concept is pretty simple. A calibrated microphone picks up when a vehicle has exceeded France’s noise limit for cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and then a connected camera takes a picture of the offending vehicle.
The license plate in the photo is then run through a police database, and within a short period of time, and ticket arrives at the offending party’s address – similar to how a speed camera system works.
The noise device is the brainchild of noise pollution agency Bruitparif, and it consists of four microphones that measure noise decibel levels every tenth of a second.
The array of microphones allows Bruitparif to triangulate the position of the sound as well, which can then be plotted over the photo as a form of “sound wake” that visually represents the sound and which object is emitting it.
Currently, it is not possible to enforce sound in France using an automatic device like this, but Bruitparif hopes that during its autumn legislative session, the French government will create a law allowing its use.
The current plan is for the French government to use a two-year trial with the technology, to test how it works and better define the noise levels that will trigger a fine.
It is surely only a matter of time before a government agency in the USA sees the revenue generation law enforcement potential of this techonology and begins to experiment with it as well. Yay.
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