We have always been proud of our area as a nice, laid-back place to live but with summer upon us our supposedly peaceful surroundings are once again being assaulted by the ear-piercing noise of motorcycles as they thunder into town and then proceed to disturb the locals and tourists alike in our backyards and at our beaches.
The culprits are the inconsiderate riders who have illegally modified their muffler systems to produce as much noise as possible.
Division 7 of the Motor Vehicle Regulations, Section 27, Table 3 reads that the maximum permissible sound level for motorcycles must not exceed 91 dbA (Decibels on the A scale). By comparison the permissible level for Heavy Diesel Vehicles is 93. The decibel scale is logarithmic and in practice the sound energy doubles with a 3 dbA increase.
Noise pollution is recognized as a serious health risk and this unnecessary additional burden placed by a handful of offenders on a population, which has already been stressed by the coronavirus, is not only illegal but grossly unfair.
Neither does it speak well for the area’s reputation as a nice place to live or visit. It is ironic that the offenders do not necessarily enjoy the noise themselves as I have personally observed a number of these individuals wearing earplugs.
The need for enforcement of existing legislation in respect to noisy motorcycles is immediate and should not be difficult as we all know where and when to locate these offenders in our relatively small area of jurisdiction.
Hans Rysdyk
Qualicum Beach