Kingston Police targeting drivers who express themselves through noise

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Steph Crosier

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June 04, 20212 days agoRead for 2 minutes A vehicle stopped by Kingston police was found with an angle grinder in the extension pipe of its exhaust system that led to the muffler.A vehicle stopped by Kingston police was found with an angle grinder in the extension pipe of its exhaust system that led to the muffler. Supplied photo

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The Kingston Police Department of Transportation this month launched Project Noisemaker, an initiative aimed at drivers who want to express themselves through the noise of their vehicle.

“What I’ve heard the most is the phrase, ‘I express myself through the noise of my car’” Const. Josh Brimble said he spoke to drivers who were stopped because of the unnecessary noise from their vehicles.

“I usually hear that: ‘Because I like the sound’ or ‘I like to express myself through my car.'”

The Noisemaker project runs in June and was inspired by similar projects by Halton Police and Ottawa Police. Brimble said the campaigns then led officers to find more aggressive driving, speeding and stunt driving so they will focus on those crimes as well.

“Some in public may say, ‘Well, that’s just unnecessary noise, it’s not a big deal.’ My answer: The number 2 complaint to the traffic authority every year is noise, ”explained Brimble. “It usually starts in April when motorcycles hit the market and some of the other cars that have been put into storage over the winter. …

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“When I say motor vehicles, I mean motorcycles, cars, pickups and commercial vehicles.”

Over the past three years, Kingston Police have charged 33 drivers with unnecessary or inappropriate noise and 27 others with incorrect or no silencers. The vast majority of tickets were issued downtown, north of Division Street and near the intersection of Sir John A. Macdonald and John Counter Boulevards.

A heat map of Kingston Police Department issuing tickets for unnecessary noise in the city for the past three years. A heat map of Kingston Police Department issuing tickets for unnecessary noise in the city for the past three years.

Each of the Highway Traffic Act tickets comes with a $ 110 fine. If the vehicle appears unsafe or potentially polluting, the police will force the driver to bring the vehicle to the police headquarters for further inspection by the commercial vehicle and motor vehicle inspector Const. Mike Reis.

In addition to reducing unnecessary road noise, Brimble said, the project is also about training drivers.

“Just because you can buy it on Amazon doesn’t mean it’s legal to drive on an Ontario street,” Brimble said. “You can drive it around your private property however you want, but the moment you take it on an Ontario road it is a Highway Traffic Act offense.”

He explained that drivers who want to make more noise on the roads can buy devices to make their vehicles louder, but they can also take things away or modify the exhaust system to achieve a similar effect. Brimble said people remove their catalytic converters or mufflers, bypass the exhaust, or cut holes in extension pipes.

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When looking for a vehicle that has an unnecessary noise complaint associated with it, Brimble says it can be that easy to track the noise down.

“There were some very creative things,” said Brimble, explaining that he once stopped a pickup truck and had its entire exhaust system removed and replaced with a three-inch pipe. The loudspeaker part of a gramophone was attached to the truck’s exhaust pipe.

“Most of what is changed is just to create unnecessary noise,” said Brimble. “If we see a modified exhaust, it’s not to make it quieter. I have to see that. “

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