Advice on Reducing Noise from Stationary Vehicles

Even when vehicles are stationary, they can still cause noise. It does not matter whether they are on the road, on the pavement or in your garden or garage - noise from cars, vans or motorbikes can still annoy your neighbours. This page looks at some of the causes of noise from vehicles and explains what you can do to keep the noise to a minimum.

The Environmental Health Department cannot take action against general road traffic, as it is specifically excluded from our legal powers. However, we have powers to control noise from stationary vehicles, whether in the street or on people's premises.  Anyone found to be causing a noise nuisance can be served with an Abatement Notice under Section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. If you continue causing a nuisance after you have been served with this Notice, you can be prosecuted with fines of up to £5,000 being imposed upon summary conviction in a Magistrate's Court. Furthermore, the police can take action under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 against anyone found to be driving a vehicle in such a manner that it causes alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. These powers include seizure and removal of the motor vehicle.

Noise from stationary vehicles is often a source of complaint in residential areas, especially if people feel the noise is unnecessary:

• Vehicle repairs - Problems occur when the times of noisy repair work, or the level of noise being produced become unreasonable. Hand tools (hammers) can be noisy enough and power tools, grinding and even welding can be much worse.  Neighbours can get annoyed when they have to put up with repeated 'revving' of an engine, perhaps as a result of trying to identify a fault or to check whether repairs have been successful.
• Some people seem to have a major car repair hobby, or even a small-scale business run from home and this makes noisy repairs a regular event. Legal action can be taken if car repairs cause a noise nuisance, leading to prosecution with fines of up to £5,000 or seizure of tools causing the noise. Extreme cases can lead to eviction if you are living in rented accommodation, and you are breaching the terms of your tenancy agreement.
• Vehicle horns (hooters) - Sounding your horn between the hours of 23:30hrs and 07:00hrs is an offence under the Road Traffic Act. You can be prosecuted by the police.
• Vehicle alarms - Please ensure that your alarm has an automatic cut-out giving five minutes' maximum sounding. If your alarm goes off for long periods, you can be prosecuted. Officers also have the power to break into your car to turn off the alarm or to tow your car away. We will charge you the cost of doing this.
• Noisy car stereos - You can be fined (£5000 maximum) if your car is stationary and the noise of the radio or stereo annoys local residents. So, please keep the volume down if you are cleaning your car, or working on it and you have the stereo on.
• Starting up - Please keep the 'warm up' time to a minimum. Whatever you do, don't keep on 'revving' your vehicle's engine. This can be a particular problem if it is a noisy motorbike. Once your vehicle has warmed up, please pull away as smoothly as possible.
• Letting the engine run whilst stationary - Do you know that this can now be an offence under the Road Traffic Acts? This is because it makes noise as well as causing air pollution. Of course, it is a question of degree - is there a reasonable reason why you are running the engine? Brief running of the engine to check your repairs are working is fine. Sitting in your vehicle for a long period, listening to the radio with the engine running, would probably be an offence.
• Noisy exhausts - The police can take action under the Police Reform Act 2002 against anyone who drives a vehicle in a manner which causes any member of the public distress or annoyance. They can issue a warning or fixed penalty notice and can even seize your vehicle. Therefore, if you have a noisy exhaust, perhaps due to a fault or it has been modified, you will either need to repair the fault or in certain circumstances replace the exhaust.
• Parking - Please be considerate when parking your vehicle. Complaints occur when garages are located underneath other people's homes, or when cars are parked very close to people's homes. Your neighbours then get the noise of your parking (and sometimes the fumes as well). All we would ask is that you park as quickly and quietly as you can!