Crackdown on Nuisance Vehicles

For too many residents, the sound of deliberately revving engines, modified exhausts and motorbikes racing through our streets has become a regular part of life.

This isn’t simply an irritation.

It wakes people up. It intimidates residents. It damages people’s quality of life. And when vehicles are being driven dangerously or antisocially, it can make people feel unsafe in their own neighbourhood.

I’ve been working with residents to get tougher action on nuisance vehicles, particularly around Weston Shore and communities across Southampton Itchen.

In Parliament, I raised the problem directly with the Home Secretary, telling her that residents around Weston Shore had had enough of antisocial motorbikes racing outside their homes and disturbing their sleep.

Now I want us to add another tool to our armoury.

A noise camera combines microphones with camera technology to identify vehicles creating excessive levels of noise.

Government trials have demonstrated that the technology has the potential to support enforcement by capturing the vehicle alongside evidence of the noise it is producing. At present, that evidence needs to be reviewed by a person before enforcement action can be taken.

That could help police and local authorities identify vehicles which are repeatedly causing problems rather than relying solely on an officer happening to be in the right place at the right time.

A noise camera isn’t the whole answer.

I will continue pushing for:

• More visible neighbourhood policing in communities affected by nuisance vehicles.
• Tougher enforcement against antisocial driving and riding.
• Vehicles being seized where they are being used illegally or antisocially.
• Action against illegal and excessively noisy exhausts.
• Better intelligence from residents, so police know where and when problems are happening.
• A Southampton noise camera, giving us another practical way to identify persistent offenders.

The overwhelming majority of motorists and motorcyclists drive responsibly.

This campaign is about the minority who deliberately use their vehicles to create excessive noise and make life miserable for everybody else.

If you’re fed up with being woken up by engines roaring through your neighbourhood, or simply believe everyone deserves some peace in their own home, please add your name to my petition.