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Writer's pictureSafer Highways

Drivers warned as 'intelligent' new cameras set to be rolled out on Birmingham roads


New noise-detecting cameras could soon be rolled out on UK roads in a bid to combat boy racers and other nuisance drivers.


The Government is keen to see the cameras installed following successful trials.


The cameras would feature recording equipment allowing them to measure noise levels of passing cars. It could prove a gamechanger on roads which have been turned into racetracks by dangerous drivers.


A threshold of 95 decibels on roads with speed limits of up to 50mph has been proposed, with the threat of £100 fines to anyone who goes above that level. Residents' lives have been made a misery in a number of racing hotspot locations in the West Midlands, while loud engines can be a major irritation in neighbourhoods, particularly late at night.


It's hoped these cameras could help put a stop to the problem. And it's likely these cameras would be of particular interest to police chiefs and council bosses in the West Midlands following persistent problems with street racers over recent years.


A car cruising injunction banning racing is in place across Birmingham and the Black Country, giving police tougher powers to deal with offenders who flout it. Just this week, we reported how street race organisers who organised meet-ups online in Birmingham were jailed.


As well as reaching dangerous speeds, these racers also often perform dangerous stunts putting both themselves and the wider public at risk. Birmingham City Council says: "A full three-year injunction is now in place until February 27, 2027, replacing an interim order made in December 2022.


"The final order prohibits drivers, riders or passengers from participating in a street cruise anywhere in Birmingham, and now includes organisers, promoters and spectators. As a result of the injunction any driver, rider, or passenger breaching the order could:


  • be arrested immediately

  • face up to two years in prison

  • receive a fine

  • have their assets seized


"Any organiser, promoter or spectator breaching the order could:

  • be summonsed to court

  • face up to two years in prison

  • receive a fine

  • have their assets seized


Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, said: "Noisy cars on public roads can have a significant detrimental impact on other road users' health, let alone being a nuisance in the neighbourhoods where they are driven."


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