$1,000 fine for loud vehicles approved by Edmonton council

Drivers with loud vehicles could be fined $1,000 after Edmonton city council approved the higher punishment on Friday.

Councillors voted 12-0 to increase the fine from a maximum of $250 to $1,000. Repeat offenders will be fined $2,000.

The fine will apply to drivers whose vehicles make "unnecessary and unreasonable" noise with modified mufflers or amped-up engines, but council wants officers to use discretion with people who can't afford to fix their vehicle.

"The intent is to target those who deliberately disturb other people's peace and quality of life," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said.

"Some people deliberately cause that noise. I think we need to get tough on those people," he said earlier in the day.

"If this bylaw encourages people to think twice about how they are interacting with public spaces, that can only be a good thing," said Coun. Aaron Paquette. "The goal isn't to punish people but to discourage, frankly, antisocial behaviours."

The bylaw has two thresholds: 92 decibels while idling or 96 decibels when revving an engine.

Coun. Michael Janz has been pushing for the higher fine, recently describing loud vehicles as a "major issue across Edmonton."

• 'They're already illegal': City council to look at increasing fines for noisy vehicles

"This isn't just an issue on Whyte Avenue, Jasper Avenue. It's all around the city and the fact that it passed unanimously at council is a recognition that this behaviour has to stop and those who are making the noise need to take it out to the racetrack, get it out of the city," he said.

Janz called on the provincial government to help the city with automated enforcement, especially for high-traffic locations, because "we cannot have bylaw officers on every corner."

The new fine comes into effect immediately.

IMPLEMENTATION QUESTIONS

Randy Jethon has been driving his 1964 convertible with the Main Street Cruisers for more than 20 years.

While he recognizes some vehicles are very loud, Jethon believes 90 decibels is an "arbitrary figure."

"I think the City of Edmonton buses are over 90 decibels," he said. "This is just another effort on the City of Edmonton to exert their authority.

"It's quite hard for someone to determine that particular vehicle [is noisy] unless it is being tested at a roadside stop check or something like that, it's going to be very hard to test it out."

Jethon also wonders how enforcement will take place, saying: "If I am idling down the street, are you going to check me just because you think I need to be checked over?"

He hopes noise testing is conducted overnight when loud cars disrupt people the most.

"There probably is a need for a law like this," Jethon said. "But its how is it going to be implemented and how it's going to be implemented and how it's going to be managed, that's going to be the big question." 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson and Marek Tkach