Windsor police are cracking down on loud pipes but not using new by-laws that specify a decibel limit as enacted by other municipalities such as Edmonton and Bathurst, which have had issues at court due to background noise interference.
According to CBC News, Windsor’s Deputy Chief Jerome Brannigan said officers are on the lookout for altered mufflers that generate excessive or unusual noise contrary to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act and subject to a fine of $110.
“We went through the definition of what a straight pipe is and what a gutted muffler is and what a Hollywood muffler is,” Brannigan said. “We also gave examples and suggestions on how to articulate unnecessary or unusual noise.”
In Quebec the S.A.A.Q. announced few days ago, they are training policemen for the same thing. The fines will be $100 to $200 for a noisy muffler, and the refuse to obey to the noise control will be $300 by default.
[…] CMG News […]
Unfortunately the old Highway Traffic Act section that pertains to exhausts is woefully out of date. So much so, as to be virtually unenforceable. Used to be that a cop could just stuff his billy club into an exhaust and declare it illegal if it went in more than a few inches. Now many stock motorcycle exhausts will fail this test.
Odds are that people who bother to fight these tickets and do more than 15 minutes research will get off. Police would be better off just applying a standard noise bylaw ticket, which carries absolutely no need to demonstrate that the equipment is illegal.