Essex: Police to crack down on boy racer noise (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Really? Next it'll be the little boy with a piece of card flapping against the spokes of his trike.

I know the noise can be excessive (in which case fair enuf - just go for them) but there is nothing else that the fuzz can think about spending their (limited) funds and resources on?

Fuel for their helicopter toy? How about sensitivity training? Customer service practices and procedures? Anti-bumptious antidotes in the form of tearing 'em down a peg or two. Reminding them who pays their salaries. Courtesy. Civility. Respect. Nah - go for the easy target and **** off another generation of disenfranchised youth doing nothing but making a little noise - as teenagers are won't to do. Pah - effing useless...

Agree, complete waste of time!
I'm interested in police catching bad, dangerous/careless drivers who are a constant menace on the roads these days. Also people who are driving whilst on mobile phones that you see everyday. How about trying to enforce these laws first!

The noise that comes from those stupid little 50cc motorbikes is appalling, the engine is revved hard but the 17 year old is travelling at 20mph!! The noise of a whining struggling little engine is enough to give me a migraine...ban these things from the road, thay are twice as loud as a noisy car!

So good we have to read it twice! *BG*

What gives people the right to make so much noise with their cars that they disturb other people. keeping them awake very late at night, it effects your whole day losing sleep through thoughtless noisy people. There is no respect for others any more. Perhaps once these so called boy racers finally go home to bed I should sit outside in an illegall car revving it up and skid about with my music full blast, what would they say? oh well i don't wan't to sleep tonight anyway, no I am sure they would come out effing and blinding about affecting them in their homes.

82 decibels in itself is a meaningless measure. Decibel is a measure of sound energy, which due to physics decreases proportionally to the square of the distance (surface area of a sphere of mgiven radius). It is also a logarithmic scale. To be meaningful you a MUST also quote the distance.

If you double the distance, it reduces the dab by approx 3. A car could measure 80dB at 8 metres, but stick the probe 4 inches from the exhaust and it will be almost 100 dB.

Yep. At what distance is that measured? And as to Kez1010, we're talking only about exhaust noise. Driving like a pratt is a whole other issue. And one with which I am in agreement with you. And any excess noise at night is unacceptable. THAT'S where the gendarmes need to focus. Oh and on 50 cc mopeds doing 20 mph. Not the Harleys at fifty that'd deafen a bat! Oh no... (and I know bats ain't deaf! Bad analogy)

You may like to about us 'hooligans' going past your house in the early hours of the morning with our loud exhausts, though what would you prefer?

That split second of exhaust noise or a alcohol fuelled fight outside your house?

I can probably answer that for you..
The difference is, when people go out to drink, they don't wear number plates, but when we sit in car parks to socialise with our friends, our cars do, making us the easy target.

You may think that everyone with a loud exhaust wakes you up as they speed past your house in the early hours of the morning, but I can assure you (being someone with a loud exhaust myself) not all of us drive like hooligans through built up areas, I certainly don't.

Also, you must live in a strange part of town to hear tyre skidding and music playing.

I'd also love to know how you worked out that every car with a loud exhaust which goes past your house is in fact "illegal", especially considering the fact that they were speeding past your house at such a speed, and you claimed to be sleeping.

In my previous comment I missed the word "sulk", from the first line.

I would also like to add...

If this is illegal..
WHY IS IT NOT IN THE M.O.T. TEST?!

cj1231 wrote:
In my previous comment I missed the word "sulk", from the first line. I would also like to add... If this is illegal.. WHY IS IT NOT IN THE M.O.T. TEST?!

i am with you on this 100% you will find most the cars that are driven will be looked after alot beter than most cars they are our pride and joy i love my car, we look after our cars alot better than most people, and we make sure they are taxed insured and MOT, i know i would rather be driving my car than going out getting drunk, rather put the money in to my car, seems these days anything that younger people get involed withthere is a reason why its sooo bad, so all the bikes that meet up and have the loud exhaust on the back you goingt o do stuff about them aswell, why should peds get banned of the road they get people to work just because you done like it dont mean it should get banned,not every one likes the same thing,

Personally I value quiete extremely highly and theses exhausts are only there to cause a disturbance. I live in the country, I moved here to escape the grind of my noisy job.
We had a neighbour who had a car with a very noisy exhaust. Every morning at 5-50am, you've be awoken by him starting his car. And Every-night he'd return after visiting a girlfriend, at between 12.30 and 1.30am.
You would hear him several streets away and it would get progressively louder as he got closer to home. In the winter he would leave the engine on whilst the car defrosted. Our windows would vibrate. Very funny, I'm sure!
I pointed this out to him but it continued.I could have got nasty, sleep depravation can cause extreme behaviour.
Fortunately he moved away quickly...we heard his car go and it never came back!
Welcome back silence!

By the way, every noisy car that goes past a house has to end up a house in a neighbourhood. Everyday that engine is gunned it is likely to disturb them, everyday it pulls up to park, it is likely to disturb them.
Repeat that 365 days a year.

every car is noisy, some cars are like that from brand new and that how the people who made the car sound like it, the mini cooper s jw exhaust that is louder than a mini cooper s , so should that person be named as a boy racer, as they have a nice car, with a bigger exhaust on the car, which was what it was made with not what they have had put on it!

@Bubbles and @cj1231 - well put and so much more eloquent than the curmudgeonly killjoys simply moaning because they are too old an selfish to accept moderate teenage expression. Excessive noise is a different thing... Like that from a kid's trike with cards whacking against the spokes. ;-)

It just comes down to priority! Whilst Essex police are spending their time training to use noise level equipment to catch so called 'boy racers' they aren't catching drunk/un-insured drivers with no licence. ie the people who could actually kill or cause series injury to other people. Whilst i agree that an excessive loud exhaust is a little annoying, it isn't in the same league as other road crimes that i want police to have a 'CRACKDOWN' on.

I can pretty much guarantee that atleast once every weekend i see a police car or ambulance in witham town center due to people getting into fights cause they cant hold their drink, yet the police want to pool their limited resources and funds into training their very streched officers to to read a sound meter and give out section 59's.

I think youve got your priorities in the wrong order guys.

but then again it does put your numbers up for the end of month doesnt it. ;)

try catching all the drink,drug and unisured drivers and the untaxed and non roadworthy cars first

Modifications
Buying a car is something that many of us do these days, as we become a society that relies on being able to travel freely. However, buying the car of our dreams is not always an option so people accept that they will have to make modifications to a car to bring it up to their expectations.

However, not all car modifications are legal and some are deemed as unnecessary. The problems occur when people modify their cars unlawfully like when they use big bore exhausts or heavily tinted windows. These are actually illegal in the UK and are classed as anti social use of a vehicle. When modifying your car there are some important issues to consider ensuring your vehicle is legal to drive on public roads.

The first thing to do when making any vehicle modifications is to inform your insurance company, whether you carry them out yourself or if the modifications were already installed when you purchased the vehicle. Failure to do so could seriously reduce any future claim you make and in a worst case scenario completely invalidate your insurance.

Secondly, you should be aware that modifying your car will make it more attractive to thieves and that you should take every precaution when securing your vehicle.

If you are thinking of modifying your vehicle, you need to check if the modifications are acceptable under the Road Traffic Act.

Any vehicle modifications that you make to your car should be carried out by someone who knows what they are doing, preferable a licensed dealer to ensure that your car remains road worthy.

Exhausts

The vast majority of large or big bore exhausts are illegal for use on public roads. The fact they may have passed an MOT test is irrelevant as this only checks for exhaust gasses and emission legislation compliance.

Big bore and sports exhaust systems are usually fitted to increase the sound emitted and this contravenes the Type Approval of the vehicle, which is an offence.

There is no requirement for police to measure the sound level from the exhaust system, it only requires an opinion that the system is not standard and that it is noisier than a normal vehicle of the same specification.

It is not an offence to sell these exhaust systems, but it is an offence to fit one to your vehicle and drive it on a public road. Motorists who do so would be reported to court and may face a fine and court costs.

Tinted windows

Heavily-tinted windows will seriously reduce your view in certain weather conditions and most definitely at night time.

The legal requirements allowed are 75 per cent of light through the front windscreen and 70 per cent of light through the side window on the front doors. Any rear door glass and rear windows are not included in this requirement so they can be as heavily tinted as you like.

We do have instruments which can now measure the severity of a tinted window. If a window is found to be too heavily tinted the motorist could be subject to a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice or reported to court.

Lighting offences

Blue lights: The law states that only emergency vehicles can display blue lights so it is an offence if your vehicle has any LED or neon under-vehicle lighting system or lights on windscreen, washer jets or number plates emitting a blue light. The motorist could receive a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice and or be reported to court.

Fog lights: For vehicles fitted with front fog lights (rear fog lights are also included), it is an offence to illuminate them unless visibility is seriously reduced, which is defined as driving in rain, snow or fog with visibility less than 100 metres. Fog lights cause dazzle to other drivers and can attract a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice.

Other lights: It's an offence to show a red light to the front of a vehicle (including a reflector) and a white light to the rear unless reversing. Once again these offences are dealt with by means of a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice. It does not matter if the lights are mounted inside or outside the vehicle, just that the light can be seen from the outside. This would also include neon lights fitted under or on the side of a vehicle and red LED windscreen washer jets. Green lights can only be fitted on Medical Practitioners vehicles.

Number plates

Number plates must conform to current requirements in relation to size in terms of the number plate itself and the characters, spacing, format and font.

You must not misrepresent the characters either, for example by spacing them to make up a word or name or by strategically placing fixing screw covers to alter any character. Fonts including italic, bold and shadow are all illegal.

Number plates must be white reflective to the front and yellow reflective to the rear and the characters have to be black. The exception to this rule is if the vehicle (note: the legislation states vehicle not the number plate itself) is registered prior to 31 December 1972, in which case black and silver number plates can be fitted front and rear.

If the number plates on the vehicle do not comply with the above legislation this could result in a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice being issued and/or the DVLA being notified of the offence. Ultimately, the DVLA can withdraw the number plate from the vehicle temporarily or permanently, even though you pay for them. The DVLA still own the plate, you are just given the privilege of displaying them on a vehicle.

Strategic Policing Plan 2012 - 2016 taken from the Police website

How many let their insurance companys' know about the modifications they make to their car?

I love cars and always have done, I spent my youth, time and money on competing in Motorsport and loved it. Thats what a car enthusiast was, not someone that can cause as much disturbance as possible and how can it be safe having a car so low to the ground? it would upset the balance of the car and affect the handling. Ask anyone that prepares cars for competition about this and they would explain what a true modification is, not doing something just for the look or sound of it, maybe these people feel bit inadequate in other areas. Need I say more?

MrBenn wrote:
Personally I value quiete extremely highly and theses exhausts are only there to cause a disturbance. I live in the country, I moved here to escape the grind of my noisy job.
We had a neighbour who had a car with a very noisy exhaust. Every morning at 5-50am, you've be awoken by him starting his car. And Every-night he'd return after visiting a girlfriend, at between 12.30 and 1.30am.
You would hear him several streets away and it would get progressively louder as he got closer to home. In the winter he would leave the engine on whilst the car defrosted. Our windows would vibrate. Very funny, I'm sure!
I pointed this out to him but it continued.I could have got nasty, sleep depravation can cause extreme behaviour.
Fortunately he moved away quickly...we heard his car go and it never came back!
Welcome back silence!

I worry that you pay a bit too much interest in his life.

He may be keeping you up, but surely you're stalking him ever so slightly?

cj1231 wrote:

MrBenn wrote:
Personally I value quiete extremely highly and theses exhausts are only there to cause a disturbance. I live in the country, I moved here to escape the grind of my noisy job.
We had a neighbour who had a car with a very noisy exhaust. Every morning at 5-50am, you've be awoken by him starting his car. And Every-night he'd return after visiting a girlfriend, at between 12.30 and 1.30am.
You would hear him several streets away and it would get progressively louder as he got closer to home. In the winter he would leave the engine on whilst the car defrosted. Our windows would vibrate. Very funny, I'm sure!
I pointed this out to him but it continued.I could have got nasty, sleep depravation can cause extreme behaviour.
Fortunately he moved away quickly...we heard his car go and it never came back!
Welcome back silence!

I worry that you pay a bit too much interest in his life.

He may be keeping you up, but surely you're stalking him ever so slightly?

How can you say he is stalking him, he is just going about his life when this extremely inconsiderate person is causing a disturbance and a nuisance. Google the word stalking it may help!

Jeez. Do you read what you write? Talk about self righteous indignation. A nation of PW'd nancies. What about accepting individualities and showing accommodation? Give a little -- get a little.

Kez1010 wrote:
Modifications
Buying a car is something that many of us do these days, as we become a society that relies on being able to travel freely. However, buying the car of our dreams is not always an option so people accept that they will have to make modifications to a car to bring it up to their expectations.

However, not all car modifications are legal and some are deemed as unnecessary. The problems occur when people modify their cars unlawfully like when they use big bore exhausts or heavily tinted windows. These are actually illegal in the UK and are classed as anti social use of a vehicle. When modifying your car there are some important issues to consider ensuring your vehicle is legal to drive on public roads.

The first thing to do when making any vehicle modifications is to inform your insurance company, whether you carry them out yourself or if the modifications were already installed when you purchased the vehicle. Failure to do so could seriously reduce any future claim you make and in a worst case scenario completely invalidate your insurance.

Secondly, you should be aware that modifying your car will make it more attractive to thieves and that you should take every precaution when securing your vehicle.

If you are thinking of modifying your vehicle, you need to check if the modifications are acceptable under the Road Traffic Act.

Any vehicle modifications that you make to your car should be carried out by someone who knows what they are doing, preferable a licensed dealer to ensure that your car remains road worthy.

Exhausts

The vast majority of large or big bore exhausts are illegal for use on public roads. The fact they may have passed an MOT test is irrelevant as this only checks for exhaust gasses and emission legislation compliance.

Big bore and sports exhaust systems are usually fitted to increase the sound emitted and this contravenes the Type Approval of the vehicle, which is an offence.

There is no requirement for police to measure the sound level from the exhaust system, it only requires an opinion that the system is not standard and that it is noisier than a normal vehicle of the same specification.

It is not an offence to sell these exhaust systems, but it is an offence to fit one to your vehicle and drive it on a public road. Motorists who do so would be reported to court and may face a fine and court costs.

Tinted windows

Heavily-tinted windows will seriously reduce your view in certain weather conditions and most definitely at night time.

The legal requirements allowed are 75 per cent of light through the front windscreen and 70 per cent of light through the side window on the front doors. Any rear door glass and rear windows are not included in this requirement so they can be as heavily tinted as you like.

We do have instruments which can now measure the severity of a tinted window. If a window is found to be too heavily tinted the motorist could be subject to a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice or reported to court.

Lighting offences

Blue lights: The law states that only emergency vehicles can display blue lights so it is an offence if your vehicle has any LED or neon under-vehicle lighting system or lights on windscreen, washer jets or number plates emitting a blue light. The motorist could receive a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice and or be reported to court.

Fog lights: For vehicles fitted with front fog lights (rear fog lights are also included), it is an offence to illuminate them unless visibility is seriously reduced, which is defined as driving in rain, snow or fog with visibility less than 100 metres. Fog lights cause dazzle to other drivers and can attract a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice.

Other lights: It's an offence to show a red light to the front of a vehicle (including a reflector) and a white light to the rear unless reversing. Once again these offences are dealt with by means of a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice. It does not matter if the lights are mounted inside or outside the vehicle, just that the light can be seen from the outside. This would also include neon lights fitted under or on the side of a vehicle and red LED windscreen washer jets. Green lights can only be fitted on Medical Practitioners vehicles.

Number plates

Number plates must conform to current requirements in relation to size in terms of the number plate itself and the characters, spacing, format and font.

You must not misrepresent the characters either, for example by spacing them to make up a word or name or by strategically placing fixing screw covers to alter any character. Fonts including italic, bold and shadow are all illegal.

Number plates must be white reflective to the front and yellow reflective to the rear and the characters have to be black. The exception to this rule is if the vehicle (note: the legislation states vehicle not the number plate itself) is registered prior to 31 December 1972, in which case black and silver number plates can be fitted front and rear.

If the number plates on the vehicle do not comply with the above legislation this could result in a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice being issued and/or the DVLA being notified of the offence. Ultimately, the DVLA can withdraw the number plate from the vehicle temporarily or permanently, even though you pay for them. The DVLA still own the plate, you are just given the privilege of displaying them on a vehicle.

Strategic Policing Plan 2012 - 2016 taken from the Police website

How many let their insurance companys' know about the modifications they make to their car?

I love cars and always have done, I spent my youth, time and money on competing in Motorsport and loved it. Thats what a car enthusiast was, not someone that can cause as much disturbance as possible and how can it be safe having a car so low to the ground? it would upset the balance of the car and affect the handling. Ask anyone that prepares cars for competition about this and they would explain what a true modification is, not doing something just for the look or sound of it, maybe these people feel bit inadequate in other areas. Need I say more?

@Kez1010

Thanks for making me scroll for the entirety of the night to get the comments box. I may have to drive my car past your house later to repay the inconvenience you have caused me.

As for your comments about lowered cars. What motorsport was you into exactly? Most of the motorsport I see cars appear almost inches from the floor. This is actually to improve handling.

Cars aren't balancing on the wheels due to 1 wheel being in each corner, perhaps you are confused with a bicycle, I still don't think the balance would get upset if it was lowered, even if it did. Maybe it just wants a cuddle?

The way I see it, my car is safer now that it is lowered because (let's think of a situation here...) Say if I am driving down the road and you step out in front of my car..

Instead of my bumper hitting you in the crown jewels, it'll hit you in the knees.
Everybody knows knees are far less important and you will still be able to have children in the near future.

cj1231 wrote:

Kez1010 wrote: Modifications Buying a car is something that many of us do these days, as we become a society that relies on being able to travel freely. However, buying the car of our dreams is not always an option so people accept that they will have to make modifications to a car to bring it up to their expectations. However, not all car modifications are legal and some are deemed as unnecessary. The problems occur when people modify their cars unlawfully like when they use big bore exhausts or heavily tinted windows. These are actually illegal in the UK and are classed as anti social use of a vehicle. When modifying your car there are some important issues to consider ensuring your vehicle is legal to drive on public roads. The first thing to do when making any vehicle modifications is to inform your insurance company, whether you carry them out yourself or if the modifications were already installed when you purchased the vehicle. Failure to do so could seriously reduce any future claim you make and in a worst case scenario completely invalidate your insurance. Secondly, you should be aware that modifying your car will make it more attractive to thieves and that you should take every precaution when securing your vehicle. If you are thinking of modifying your vehicle, you need to check if the modifications are acceptable under the Road Traffic Act. Any vehicle modifications that you make to your car should be carried out by someone who knows what they are doing, preferable a licensed dealer to ensure that your car remains road worthy. Exhausts The vast majority of large or big bore exhausts are illegal for use on public roads. The fact they may have passed an MOT test is irrelevant as this only checks for exhaust gasses and emission legislation compliance. Big bore and sports exhaust systems are usually fitted to increase the sound emitted and this contravenes the Type Approval of the vehicle, which is an offence. There is no requirement for police to measure the sound level from the exhaust system, it only requires an opinion that the system is not standard and that it is noisier than a normal vehicle of the same specification. It is not an offence to sell these exhaust systems, but it is an offence to fit one to your vehicle and drive it on a public road. Motorists who do so would be reported to court and may face a fine and court costs. Tinted windows Heavily-tinted windows will seriously reduce your view in certain weather conditions and most definitely at night time. The legal requirements allowed are 75 per cent of light through the front windscreen and 70 per cent of light through the side window on the front doors. Any rear door glass and rear windows are not included in this requirement so they can be as heavily tinted as you like. We do have instruments which can now measure the severity of a tinted window. If a window is found to be too heavily tinted the motorist could be subject to a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice or reported to court. Lighting offences Blue lights: The law states that only emergency vehicles can display blue lights so it is an offence if your vehicle has any LED or neon under-vehicle lighting system or lights on windscreen, washer jets or number plates emitting a blue light. The motorist could receive a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice and or be reported to court. Fog lights: For vehicles fitted with front fog lights (rear fog lights are also included), it is an offence to illuminate them unless visibility is seriously reduced, which is defined as driving in rain, snow or fog with visibility less than 100 metres. Fog lights cause dazzle to other drivers and can attract a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice. Other lights: It's an offence to show a red light to the front of a vehicle (including a reflector) and a white light to the rear unless reversing. Once again these offences are dealt with by means of a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice. It does not matter if the lights are mounted inside or outside the vehicle, just that the light can be seen from the outside. This would also include neon lights fitted under or on the side of a vehicle and red LED windscreen washer jets. Green lights can only be fitted on Medical Practitioners vehicles. Number plates Number plates must conform to current requirements in relation to size in terms of the number plate itself and the characters, spacing, format and font. You must not misrepresent the characters either, for example by spacing them to make up a word or name or by strategically placing fixing screw covers to alter any character. Fonts including italic, bold and shadow are all illegal. Number plates must be white reflective to the front and yellow reflective to the rear and the characters have to be black. The exception to this rule is if the vehicle (note: the legislation states vehicle not the number plate itself) is registered prior to 31 December 1972, in which case black and silver number plates can be fitted front and rear. If the number plates on the vehicle do not comply with the above legislation this could result in a £30 Fixed Penalty Notice being issued and/or the DVLA being notified of the offence. Ultimately, the DVLA can withdraw the number plate from the vehicle temporarily or permanently, even though you pay for them. The DVLA still own the plate, you are just given the privilege of displaying them on a vehicle. Strategic Policing Plan 2012 - 2016 taken from the Police website How many let their insurance companys' know about the modifications they make to their car? I love cars and always have done, I spent my youth, time and money on competing in Motorsport and loved it. Thats what a car enthusiast was, not someone that can cause as much disturbance as possible and how can it be safe having a car so low to the ground? it would upset the balance of the car and affect the handling. Ask anyone that prepares cars for competition about this and they would explain what a true modification is, not doing something just for the look or sound of it, maybe these people feel bit inadequate in other areas. Need I say more?

@Kez1010 Thanks for making me scroll for the entirety of the night to get the comments box. I may have to drive my car past your house later to repay the inconvenience you have caused me. As for your comments about lowered cars. What motorsport was you into exactly? Most of the motorsport I see cars appear almost inches from the floor. This is actually to improve handling. Cars aren't balancing on the wheels due to 1 wheel being in each corner, perhaps you are confused with a bicycle, I still don't think the balance would get upset if it was lowered, even if it did. Maybe it just wants a cuddle? The way I see it, my car is safer now that it is lowered because (let's think of a situation here...) Say if I am driving down the road and you step out in front of my car.. Instead of my bumper hitting you in the crown jewels, it'll hit you in the knees. Everybody knows knees are far less important and you will still be able to have children in the near future.

i agree with u once again on the handling of the car once being lowered as long as nothing is rubbing over the wheels and that, i cant see a prob.
@ Kez1010

my car is low and not because i have done, asda car park the speed bumps my front spliter scratches on it most times i go over them,( and no i dont go fast) why would i want to do damage to my pride and joy, just pointing out a fact like i did with the loud exhaust, some cars are made like that, and you make it out that it is only young people that have private number plates, my mum has one and she is a nan aswell so does this class her as a boy racer? yes there is people that do silly things to there cars, but like i said b4 you will find that our cars are better looked after than most of the people commenting on this link, i am all ways cleaning mine ( bf does oil and all tht ) as he likes cars aswell and does mine when he does his, we both have jobs we work for our money so we should be able to spend our wages on what we like, everyone likes dif things at the end the day, i know for a fact my car is all legal, people just brand us as boy racers as we like cars, yes they have changed from years ago but things do, the people that do all teh mods in the car mags they should be fined to and then there be none of them as most the cars on that have bore exhaust on it?

Well, This is just ludicrous,anybody ever heard the the sirens on Police cars at night!!I think they're way above the 'so called' legal noise limit, I own a supercar,they're designed by nature to be noisey,what on earth is this garbage about ,total waste of Police time,just another toy for them play with,I'm afraid I dont agree with it,and as said,if its illegal ,then put it in the MOT,by the way,I'm 56 and love the noise of a tuned exhaust,lifes too short to be a miserable old git like some!!!!!!!