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Automotive

Noise Snare – photo radar for loud vehicles

By Ben Coxworth
May 20, 2011
Noise Snare – photo radar for loud vehicles
Owners of vehicles that exceed local allowable noise levels could start automatically getting ticketed, thanks to Noise Snare (Photo: Gizmag)
Owners of vehicles that exceed local allowable noise levels could start automatically getting ticketed, thanks to Noise Snare (Photo: Gizmag)
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Owners of vehicles that exceed local allowable noise levels could start automatically getting ticketed, thanks to Noise Snare
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Owners of vehicles that exceed local allowable noise levels could start automatically getting ticketed, thanks to Noise Snare
Noise Snare is an unmanned system, that automatically detects and identifies vehicles exceeding local allowable noise levels (Photo: Street Noise Reduction Systems Ltd.)
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Noise Snare is an unmanned system, that automatically detects and identifies vehicles exceeding local allowable noise levels (Photo: Street Noise Reduction Systems Ltd.)
Owners of vehicles that exceed local allowable noise levels could start automatically getting ticketed, thanks to Noise Snare (Photo: Gizmag)
3/3
Owners of vehicles that exceed local allowable noise levels could start automatically getting ticketed, thanks to Noise Snare (Photo: Gizmag)
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It's a situation that everyone has experienced - you're walking down the street, when a vehicle drives by that's so loud, people cover their ears and cast angry glances at the driver. You assume that it's illegal to use a muffler that's so ineffective, or to have a stereo turned up that high, but if it is ... how come so many people seemingly get away with it? Well, part of the reason is manpower. While speeders and red-light-runners can be ticketed in the thousands using automated systems, actual police officers need to go out and manually check cars and motorcycles for noise violations. The designer of Noise Snare, however, claims that his unmanned system can automatically detect and identify overly-audible vehicles.

Noise Snare was invented by Mark Nesdoly, an electrical engineer from Edmonton, Canada. He was inspired to create it after a neighbor's loud motorcycle woke up his young daughter.

The system can be covertly mounted on a vehicle, which is then parked and left unattended at a location that municipalities wish to monitor. Once everything is armed, a microphone proceeds to register noise levels of passing vehicles. When a vehicle that exceeds legal noise levels is detected, a video camera captures footage of it, which is recorded - along with stereo audio - to DVD. Information such as the time, date and location of the infraction are superimposed on the footage, along with the vehicle's sound level in decibels.

Noise Snare is an unmanned system, that automatically detects and identifies vehicles exceeding local allowable noise levels (Photo: Street Noise Reduction Systems Ltd.)
Noise Snare is an unmanned system, that automatically detects and identifies vehicles exceeding local allowable noise levels (Photo: Street Noise Reduction Systems Ltd.)

As with photo radar, vehicle owners are identified via license plate numbers on the footage. Users can simply view the DVD to find out who's getting a ticket, or the system can notify them as it detects violations, via text messages or email. According to Nesdoly's company, Street Noise Reduction Systems, the system is able to accurately identify which specific vehicle is the guilty party, even in heavy traffic or on multi-lane roads.

The city of Calgary will start testing the Noise Snare within the next couple of months, pending council approval, and may become its first adopter.

Below is some test footage captured by the system, of vehicles that exceeded local allowable noise levels.

Noise Snare in Action

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AutomotiveTrafficNoise CancelingSound
36 comments
Ben Coxworth
Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.

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36 comments
Mepps10
While on one hand I agree that the car owners who put those stupid loud mufflers on, and who do it for the sake of making their car louder, should be ticketed... Having those morons off the street would be nice. However, that being said, this is going to create a huge opposition from the motorcycle community as well.
The result of these new noise snares is going to be primarily targeted at motorcycle owners, which on one hand, yeah some people put really loud exhausts on their bikes and it can be kind of annoying if they rev the engine on a crowded street or in suburban neighborhoods, which is why i try not to do that, but on other hand, and I cant stress this enough... LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!!!!!
As a motorcycle owner, I know from experience that one of the scariest things is when you\'re riding on the highway and some idiot who has his radio turned up, or is talking on their cell phone, and isn\'t paying attention, cuts you off and nearly kills you. Lots of bikers die every year because people couldn\'t hear them coming. So as far as I\'m concerned these tickets are totally bogus and I\'ll gladly oppose paying the fines, and refuse to remove my exhaust to keep myself safe. I couldn\'t care less if people don\'t like how it sounds, I get to go home to my family at the end of my ride each time because people can hear me coming, which gives me a much better chance of staying alive.
greytoma
Yes Yes one on every street!!!! Catch all the bearded old farts on their Harley\'s with straight thru exhausts.
Facebook User
Let\'s go even further and make them to catch noisy neighbors. Barking dogs, tiny motor bikes ridden by kids, salsa music till 1 AM, the list goes on.
TogetherinParis
I hope we can get the noise snare here in Tampa, Florida. We have a lot of nuts on the road that need to pay for their abuses.
Fouture
Finally ! Now combine this with a speeding camera and put it in the same housing. And add a fine particle dust sensor. And in school and densely populated neighbourhoods, add a traffic jam sensor that controls the closest traffic lights, to quickly shut off overcongested areas. And pressure politicians to install the technology in highly polluted urban canyons such as my own street, because we are getting murdered !A Flemish biker and Twike EV pilot since 13 years, desperate for a solution that is effectively enforced. Government simply ignores binding EU regulations, mostly because of lack of applicable technology.
snave
Interesting commercial adspeak, but fails to address the issue that noise testing is done in a specific way, for specific markets. So any roadside testing carried out in a way that does not directly obey the protocols and criteria for the market is not only irrelevant, but quite possibly taking a photo is an infringement on personal liberty as there is no justification for the image, and it certainly could not be used in court...
For example, the noise test for a motorcycle is carried out on a specific side of the vehicle, at a certain rpm and from a specific distance, by an approved authority. NONE of those criterion are addressed by the existence of this product, nor could its findings be used as evidence.
And the motorcycle image you use shows a standard exhaust fitted, meaning that the bike conforms to the conventions and legislation of the market it is being operated in.
Dave R
Loud pipes save lives? That\'s the excuse you\'re trying to use? Does that go along with motorcycles blinding everyone with their headlights because highbeams save lives? If its so damn dangerous, put it in the garage and leave it there. You can make a long list of excuses for why you should be allowed to do whatever you want but at three in the morning when you wake up the whole street, on every street you drive down, no one is going to listen to your excuses. Maybe that\'s the excuse people with with loud car stereos that you comlained about are going to use - loud music saves lives! Everytime they get cut off by someone on a motorcycle with loud exhaust it was because you couldn\'t hear them coming, so now they crank out the music.
Drive safely. Drive defensively and pay attention. Be seen (not heard) by wearing bright colours. I\'ve been riding an ultra-quiet motorcycle for over forty years and I\'ve never - not ever - had to ride with my high beams on or blasting loud muffler to stay safe. I watch for them and watch out for them and I\'ve never had an accident.
Gadgeteer
Snave, you're grasping at straws.
First, there's no legal expectation for privacy in public places. The courts have always said that. If there were, red light cameras could never be used.
Second, you're talking about testing protocols from DOT or DMV. These would be used to enforce local noise ordinances. Whole different jurisdiction.
Lastly, they're just using a street motorcycle as a generic illustration of a noise source. Pictures mean little. There are people who boast that the first thing they do when they get a Harley is ram a rebar through the muffler to destroy the baffles while keeping the stock look.
Dave, you can't argue with Mepps10. "I couldn't care less if people don't like how it sounds." All he cares about is himself. Not other people nor the law. Did you notice that he admits he gets cut off on the highway even though he has his loud pipe? That's sure "protective."
Stuart Halliday
Let\'s get it right.
It is mostly young males under 25 who think it is impressive to another male or female of the same age group.
Everyone else just thinks the person is a plonker with no consideration of their noise pollution to others and they don\'t realise their act adds to the general stress of living in cities or towns.
seamountie
Loud Pipes Save Lives is a bogus reason for loud exhaust. To save lives on a motorcycle the sound must project forward to alert those infront that a fragile vehicle is approaching. In fact, the noise from the exhaust projects backwards, and the loud noise is simply flashing the middle finger at those motorists and pedestrians the loud machine has just passed.

And by the way...there is some actuarial evidence that loud motorcycles are in MORE accidents. Straight pipes refelect a driving mind set that is contra-indicated to survival.
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