The Niagara Regional Police Service said officers will be ticketing vehicles with illegal mufflers in a new policing campaign that starts Thursday.
In a news release, the NRPS said the campaign called “Operation Loud and Clear” starts on Apr. 1 and runs until Sept. 30.
Last September 52 Provincial offense notices were issued in Niagara Falls and Niagara-on the Lake during a campaign citing: “No Muffler, Improper Muffler, and Unnecessary Noise offences.”
“In response to complaints of vehicles still being operated within the community causing excessive noise, the Niagara Regional Police Service will once again be stepping up enforcement of motor vehicles with defects or that have been modified to become louder within the Regional Municipality of Niagara,” it said.
Police officers “have noticed an increased number of vehicles that have removed their mufflers or replaced original mufflers with aftermarket parts designed to increase the noise of the exhaust to unacceptable levels,” the news release added.
Officers will be enforcing section 75(1) of the Highway Traffic Act which states: “Every motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle shall be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and excessive smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, straight exhaust, gutted muffler, Hollywood muffler, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle.”