You have likely heard of speed and red light cameras. Now “noise cameras” are cropping up in some cities and are expected to be in many areas by the end of the decade.
Four cities currently use the cameras that can automatically generate a ticket for exceeding a certain decibel level. New York has ten cameras and is adding many more. Knoxville, TN, Miami, FL and Sacramento, CA are currently using the cameras in pilot programs.
Chicago is also considering a pilot program, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
The cameras detect sound levels (at or above 85 dB in the case of NY) and then they video the offender’s license plate to issue a ticket. The 85 dB level is about the sound level of a lawn mower. A typical car audio system is rated at about 90 to 130 decibels according to Sonic Electronix.
But, while the cameras will pick up sound from a loud car stereo system, they are mainly aimed at curbing street noise from engines, honking horns and the like.
The cameras include microphones and use an algorithm to activate the camera.
Reuben Peckham, Director of Intelligent Instruments, which makes the SoundVue noise camera said, “Yes our system includes algorithms that detect music from cars,” but he noted that the cameras primarily ticket “nuisance vehicles” with “loud exhaust.”
A report in The New York Times said, as of November 2023 in NYC, the cameras had issued 218 tickets to vehicles with modified mufflers and 147 to drivers for excessive honking. There was no mention of loud stereo systems.
“Noise from nuisance vehicles (which is primarily exhaust rather than music) is very troublesome for a lot of people,” said Peckham.
New York is the only city currently issuing tickets. Knoxville and Miami have been in pilot programs since 2022. Sacramento is just starting a 12 month trial, Peckham told CEoutlook. NYC expects to have at least five noise cameras in each of its five boroughs by September 30, 2025, said the NY Times. A violation picked up by the camera will cost the driver between $800 and about $2,500 (higher fees are for repeated violations).
Intelligent Instruments said it is in discussions with at least 20 cities. Peckham believes by 2030, the noise cameras “will be quite mainstream.”
The NY Times said 50,000 noise complaints are filed every year in NYC, many of them due to modified mufflers and excessive honking.
See more at the New York Times.
I live on a main road in rural WI.. I’d love on in front of my house for all the Harleys and YeeYee trucks without exhaust that tear past every day.
88db you know my ice cream truck driver wont be able to adhere to that low of volume how else can we here the delightful noises indicating incoming pre-diabetic treats.
So literally every single Harley. Got it…
Alas, algorithms to detect musical rhythms! Hey, whatever we can do to satisfy you WOKEs!
I am aware that GUN SHOT spotters are also popping up in many neighborhoods. I wonder if this sound detection and apparently sound source pinpointing could help there too…?
This could be challenged as a discrimination against individuals with a hearing disability The cities being mentioned have quite an ambient noise level to begin with , so are they going to start ticketing cabs for blasting there horns and such. It would be nice to cut down the outrageous noise from the Harley boys , but then again , a lot of theses guys are law enforcement ??? Always many things to consider in legislation, always going to be gray areas as well. Good luck guys. Oops, guess I should have read on I commented before reading the entire article ,I’m bad !! Guess maybe I am more for it than against after all .
This could be challenged as a discrimination against individuals with a hearing disability The cities being mentioned have quite an ambient noise level to begin with , so are they going to start ticketing cabs for blasting there horns and such. It would be nice to cut down the outrageous noise from the Harley boys , but then again , a lot of theses guys are law enforcement ??? Always many things to consider in legislation, always going to be gray areas as well. Good luck guys.