Many tickets issued in anti-noise blitz

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33804, 29 March 1975, Page 7

Many tickets issued in anti-noise blitz

About 50 Christchurch drivers and motor-cyclists a week have been issued with traffic-offence notices for noisy driving or riding since the Ministry of Transport's city division started its anti-noise campaign about a month ago.

The campaign started in Christchurch at the end of February, since then traffic officers have issued 183 “tickets” and have ordered seven vehicles off the road. Last week, 54 offence notices were issued, and five vehicles put off the road. In spite of this, there were still far too many noisy vehicles on the city’s streets, the Christchurch traffic superintendent (Mr A. Goldsmith) said. In most cases, he said, it was not the mechanical condition of the cars, motorcycles, or trucks which caused the high noise level, but the way they were driven. Motor-cycles, in particular, could be quite quiet if ridden in a reasonably restrained manner, but almost painfully noisy if “wound up” through the gears. Offences of making excessive noise could cover a wider field than merely the way in which a vehicle was driven or ridden, Mr Goldsmith said. People who blew car horns unnecessarily and who slammed doors could also commit an offence.

The many offences detected so far — the campaign would continue for several more weeks — supported the contention that people generally had become used to the steadily rising noise level from traffic, and had come to consider it an unavoidable part of modern transport. Mr Goldsmith said. But this was not the case: something could be done about it, as the campaign in Christchurch was showing.

Motorists and their passengers could help make the city a quieter and more pleasant place by showing more consideration for others in the way they used, vehicles, Mr Goldsmith said, i People who left night func-l tions, for instance, should; avoid noisy farewells,; slamming of car doors, and! blowing of horns as they de-1 parted. People who were regularly; disturbed by a noisy vehicle! in their area should tele-j phone the Ministry of Trans-’; port, Mr Goldsmith said. Traffic officers would check; the situation and deal with; it.