Crackdown on noisy mufflers in Brampton, Mississauga nabs dozens of drivers

Peel Regional Police issued 160 tickets for noisy muffler violations in last month’s campaign to raise awareness about the neighbourhood annoyance.

Of those tickets, 60 were issued in Bramalea and Malton, where residents have been complaining about excessive muffler noise, according to Peel Sgt. Steve Arney.

The vast majority of the tickets were issued to cars and motorcycles with modified mufflers. The rest related to poorly-maintained vehicles.

Arney said public awareness was the the goal of the Vehicular Excessive Noise Campaign, and “tickets were a last resort.”

The campaign got the community talking, Arney said, and that meant an increased awareness of the issue.

“It was a success,” he said.

Most of the offenders are young men who have modified the mufflers of their vehicles so they sound like they are going fast even when they are not.

“They like that sound,” he said.

But the noise distracts other drivers and interferes with residents enjoying their property, according to police.

“It’s an ongoing problem and we know that,” Arney said. The fine is $110 under the Highway Traffic Act’s “unnecessary noise” regulation.

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Source: The Mississauga News