Cracking Down on Excessive Vehicular Noise

The effects of excessive vehicular noise are familiar to anyone who lives near a highway or a busy street. Interrupted sleep and stress are examples of how prolonged exposure to noise can impact our health and quality of life.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toronto has seen an increase in reports of excessive vehicular noise, including the highly-concerning street racing events that took place over the summer. In addition to being extremely unsafe, street racing is also very disruptive and has no place in our communities.

In December, City Council directed Municipal Licensing and Standards staff to include vehicular noise prevention strategies as part of the upcoming Noise By-Law review. In particular, Council specifically requested innovative technologies for automated noise enforcement and strategies to prohibit the installation or modification of equipment meant to amplify vehicular noise.

Automated noise enforcement technology – which is similar to photo radar – has been successfully implemented in other cities. In Edmonton, noise monitoring equipment was installed at 8 sites as part of a pilot project. From August to November of 2018, this equipment recorded 25,600 incidents of vehicles operating at volumes in excess of 85 decibels.

You can report incidences of excessive vehicular noise by calling 311 or emailing 311@toronto.ca.