ACT is promising noise cameras and tougher penalties for drivers who create excessive vehicle noise in residential neighbourhoods if elected.
The party announced the policy in Auckland's Tāmaki electorate today, saying relocatable cameras would be deployed in communities where noisy vehicles were a persistent problem.
ACT Tāmaki candidate James Christmas said residents had repeatedly raised concerns with him about disruptive vehicle noise.
"I've knocked on thousands of doors in recent months and have heard you loud and clear in Tāmaki: you want to turn down the volume," he said.
"People should be able to sleep, relax and enjoy their homes without having their street turned into someone else's racetrack."
Under ACT's proposal, a fleet of noise cameras would be introduced to record vehicles exceeding a new roadside noise limit.
The party said it would establish an "objective and enforceable" noise standard that approved cameras could measure, allowing evidence of alleged offending to be captured without a police officer being present.
Current road rules prohibited drivers from operating vehicles that created excessive noise, with factors including the time of day, location, manner in which a vehicle is being operated and the likelihood of causing annoyance taken into account.
Police were responsible for enforcing excessive vehicle noise rules, while separate maximum noise limits already applied to many vehicles and could be assessed through objective exhaust noise testing.
TVNZ has extensive coverage of the election campaign. (Source: TVNZ)
Christmas said the existing rules could be difficult to enforce when officers were not present at the time of the offending.
"By the time a person makes a complaint and an officer shows up on the scene, the vehicle could be long gone," he added.
ACT also proposed increased penalties for excessive vehicle noise, saying it wanted offending involving stereos or other equipment inside a vehicle to be treated consistently with noise from engines or exhaust systems.
"Noise cameras enable evidence of offending to be collected the moment the offence occurs," Christmas said.
"Pairing technology with clear standards and real consequences will give residents the peace and quiet they deserve and ensure the comfort of many isn't sacrificed for the noise of a few."
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