Vehicle Noise – Impact and Remedies
The noise level in our cities is rapidly increasing. This is due to heavier traffic and more powerful engines. On top of that there is a growing number of vehicles which are much louder and do not adhere to Canadian Noise Standards. This is due to the fact that their owners install or modify mufflers and install large sound systems creating so-called “boom cars” (typical sound is boom, boom ….) which can be heard from a kilometer away. I would like to express my expert opinion about this phenomenon and suggest remedies, which should be implemented.
Why we should ban these types of vehicles
from our cities ?
First these cars and motorbikes violate the Canadian Vehicles Standards. Second, they are a tremendous annoyance. It is not reasonable that a vehicle should produce so much noise that despite its distance it is louder in an apartment or office than the radio, TV and human voices and sounds. These vehicles can wake-up an entire neighborhood at night (estimate given in “Time” magazine was that a single motorbike with a modified mufflers can wake-up up to 200,000 people at night in Paris).
The noise produced by these vehicles not only lowers the quality of life and work of the majority of people but also can result in permanent hearing loss for vehicle operators and people nearby (this includes unborn children, since noise penetrates the womb). At high levels this noise can result even in tissue damage (body parts and organs resonate and tissues can fracture at some low frequencies) leading to serious health problems (it can even lead to a miscarriage). Walking on the street is a hazzard these days and is not at all enjoyable (which has no doubt an impact on tourism as well).
These vehicles are highly distracting in traffic and can cause accidents since they mask sounds and agitate drivers. Loud sounds can affect hearing, vision, reaction time and judgement of drivers and nearby people increasing dangers significantly for everyone involved. Very often operators of these vehicles have tinted windows and race rather than drive through the city. It is a phenomenon which increased after the release of the “Fast and Furious” movie series.