Allowed to be loud: Fredericton Police haven't ticketed noisy drivers in years

Loud drivers foundscreeching their tires in downtown Fredericton, are seemingly free to carry on.

The Fredericton Police Force have not issued a single ticketor warning, to any drivermaking excessive noise since at least 2013.

That's despite CBC News recording severalraucousdrivers revving engines andsquealingtires in the span of just a few hours Friday afternoon.

"It is a problem," saidSgt. JustinLeBlancofthe Fredericton Police Force. "And we do get several complaints a year for noisy drivers."

Statistics from a pair ofRight to Information Requests filed by CBC News show that zero tickets have been issued to drivers or bikersfor excessive noise since Jan.1, 2014.

"It's been years since I've issued a ticketmyself," said LeBlanc. "And I would say it's because the laws just aren't there."

LeBlanc saysthe only noise bylaw in the Motor Vehicle Act, ismostly in reference to mufflers and exhaust systems. The city'sbylaw concerning noise violations ismostly used inresponseto rowdy domestic situationssuch ashouse parties.

"It's a subjective section so it's tough to enforce," says LeBlanc. "And it makes it difficult to obtain a conviction.

"I would say it's a gap in the system,"

Failed changes

The City of Fredericton did attempt to close that gap in 2013 with modifications to bylaws that would target loud engines, especially motorcycles, which LeBlanc suggests are still the biggest culprits.

Those changes were voted down by a slim margin, much to the delight of bikers, and it appears there may not have been a single ticket, or even a warning written since.

At one point, city police did specificallytarget loud motorcycles for excessive noise.

"There still is excessive noise," said LeBlanc. "But there's not a lot of recourse."