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Draft Noise Regulations Completed
Page 7
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BY OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT NAR. MARPLES has now completed LIU draft regulations to clamp down on the amount of noise made by vehicles. He is sending them to motoring and other organizations before asking Parliament to approve them.
The regulations are expected to follow the main recommendations of the Wilson Committee, which reported to the Minister of.Science last July: "A considerable amount of motor vehicle noise could be reduced without excessive technical difficulty or disproportionate expense to the comm unity ".
It is understood that the new draft laws will lay down noise levels which it will be an offence to exceed, and provide for roadside tests by police armed with noisemeters. The official noise levels are expected to be 90 decibels for motorcycles and scooters and 85 decibels for commercial vehicles, cars and others. To give time for modifications, the tests will probably not begin for two years after the legislation is passed.
Another recommendation of the Wilson Committee was that, one year from the passing of regulations, all new vehicles should be so constructed as to conform automatically to the new noise limits. On this point the Wilson Committee said:— " There is clear evidence that among certain classes of vehicle noise levels are higher than they need be with the knowledge at present available to manufacturers. Indeed, in a few cases, the emission of exhaust noise of a special character seems to be a deliberate part of the design for sales purposes."
The cost to the purchasers of new vehicles—if this recommendation is applied—should not be serious for the majority of vehicles. But the Wilson Committee envisaged a reduction in the level after, say, five years. In the current state of knowledge most diesel vehicles, sports cars and motorcycles would be virtually banned from the road if this happened.
Eighty-five decibels was set by the Committee because this was the lowest practicable level for diesels. Their engine noise alone is little below this figure, and the sources of predominant noise in these engines had in July "not yet been fully established ".
Mr. Marples is also considering a plan to ban the sounding of motor horns at all times in built-up areas, They are at present banned between 11.30 p.m. and 7 a.m. But because a round-the-clock extension might affect road safety he is seeking advice from his Road Safety Committee before acting on this point.
Road to the Rescue ROAD transport came to the rescue of the Post Office last week, when, because of serious congestion at Kilburn, British Railways were unable to cope with parcel mail traffic destined, in the main, for the north west of England. As a result, alternative means were sought, including road transport. Normally, parcels are dispatched from Euston Station, but because of extensive alterations going on there, the mail was leaving London from Kilburn.