Three-quarters of People would welcome noise cameras on our roads

7th February 2022

Seven in ten people (71%) say they support speed cameras having noise detectors to catch and fine illegally noisy vehicles in cities, whilst more than two thirds (67%) support this in rural areas.

The new research from used car buying service Choose My Car, suggests that the majority of UK drivers would welcome a move to install noise monitoring equipment onto speed cameras.

The research from ChooseMyCar saw that the strongest support, perhaps surprisingly, came from the 18-34 age range, with 74% of respondents saying they would welcome the rollout of noise cameras. Interestingly, support was stronger from men than women, with 75 percent of men asked saying they would welcome the move, and only 68 percent of women.

Other statistics from the research showed:
Sheffield was the city with the strongest support for the use of speed cameras, with 83% of respondents welcoming the move.
Plymouth was the lowest, with just 48% supportive, Liverpool was the second lowest,with 54%
Edinburgh was the second more supportive city (79%), followed by Glasgow (77%), and London, Nottingham, Manchester and Southampton, all on 74%
The Government is currently considering the use of the cameras, after a successful scheme in Knightsbridge, London. The pilot project was launched after residents in Kensington and Chelsea raised concerns about the impact noisy vehicles had on their lives in the area. Since the introduction of the cameras in 2020, close to 150 people have been fined, with no repeat offences.

Noisy culprits face a fine of £100, which can rise to £1,000 in extreme cases.

Founder of ChooseMyCar.com, Nick Zapolski, said that he welcomed the idea of the rollout of noise cameras.

"Noise from modified vehicles can be very annoying for other road users and residents. But I also have concerns around the behaviours that can sometimes go hand in hand with this type of vehicle.

"Noise cameras could considerably discourage racing and reckless driving, and that could save lives. This scheme would be really important in reducing dangerous behaviour on our roads, as well as noise pollution."

The full insight from this survey including local data can be found at ChooseMyCar.com