The pleasure of a patio meal can quickly fade when excessive noise from passing motorcycles drowns out conversation.
It鈥檚 a familiar frustration in Peachland, especially during the busy summer months. At its May 20 meeting, Peachland council raised the issue with visiting RCMP officers, asking if anything could be done to quiet things down.
鈥淵ou would need extreme dedication (to enforcement) over the summer,鈥� said Cpl. Tyrone Wilton of the West 麻豆精选 RCMP. 鈥淚t would be the same in West 麻豆精选, 麻豆精选, and the same on Lake Avenue in Penticton.鈥�
The Okanagan tends to draw a large number of motorcycles and exotic cars in the summer, he added.
One method of enforcement involves using a decibel meter, but there are challenges. While the 麻豆精选 detachment has a trained officer equipped with one, that resource isn鈥檛 available to Peachland.
Wilton also noted that the courts do not recognize decibel meters.
鈥淚 just learned that鈥攊t鈥檚 currently in limbo,鈥� he said.
Wilton added that a regular member could make a personal observation if a vehicle is making excessive noise.
鈥淗owever, the onus is on the police officer to prove in court they were over the decibel limit,鈥� he said.
He emphasized that the goal isn鈥檛 to necessarily punish drivers, but to encourage better behaviour.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 stand a loud muffler any more than you guys,鈥� he told council. 鈥淏ut sometimes just having a conversation with that person and issuing them a warning, or having them get their vehicle inspected鈥� is sometimes more damaging than a ticket.鈥�
He told council that while Motor Vehicle Act regulations set a specific decibel level for vehicles, the majority of motorcycles produced currently exceed that threshold.
鈥淪o they鈥檙e coming off the line already above,鈥� he added.
Wilton added officers will issue tickets when the noise is 鈥済rossly and obviously鈥� excessive.
