The Moscow Traffic Control Center has begun testing new roadside camera technology equipped with microphones that measure the noise of passing vehicles, with a view to penalising those responsible for excessive noise pollution.
One of these devices has been installed in one of Moscow’s central districts as part of the ongoing fight against anti-social loud cars and motorcycles that prevent people from sleeping at night.
Cameras must be certified by Rosstandart (The Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology) and in order for such certification to become possible, a separate document has to be adopted indicating the noise thresholds (in decibels). It will only be possible for such a document to, in turn, be approved after changes in the current legislation, therefore the project remains at a pilot stage.
Currently there is a Russian National Standard for measuring the noise level of vehicle engines during their certification (96 dB for cars and motorcycles and 98-100 dB for buses and trucks), but measurements are taken in a laboratory – the document cannot be used in road conditions.
The cameras will be installed in places where there are most complaints from citizens.
