Noisy vehicles could soon by a thing of the past in Paris, France where authorities are rolling out a new noise radar system that can identify noisy cars, precisely locate them, and automatically ticket them.
Noise Radar System
Nearly 40 of these systems are already in operation in some parts of Paris. The suburb of Villeneuve-le-Roi has also recently installed the system.
The system has already been installed on a lamppost in the center of Villeneuve and it will be activated once a new government draft law that permits the system is passed.
"Noise is the bane of modern life and a major health issue. It hurts people like secondary smoking does," the town's mayor Didier Gonzales said.
The draft law, which will be voted on this autumn, will allow authorities to experiment with systems to record and fine drivers who exceed noise limit.
France has laws that limit vehicle noise, but it is difficult to enforce these because the system relies on the police catching offenders individually.
How The Noise-tracking Device Works
The system is developed by engineers working for Bruitparif, a non-profit environmental organization that monitors environmental noise.
The device uses four microphones that can measure decibel levels every tenth of a second and triangulate the origin of the sound.
The system is linked to CCTV to pinpoint who is behind the loud noise. It will display a picture of an acoustic wake as a trace of colored dots trailing behind the moving source of a loud noise, which will make it difficult to dispute who made the noise.
Bruitparif is installing more of the devices in Paris, albeit the system is still in trial mode and no fines have yet been issued.
The government is planning to conduct the trial for two years to test the technology and define the noise levels that will trigger fines.
