Reporting noisy vehicles

For those living in or around heavy traffic areas, excessive noise from vehicles can be a real issue. Excessive noise is considered a form of pollution and can impact health and wellbeing.

Vehicle noise limits are regulated under national road vehicle standards, which, according to the Department of Infrastructure defines “the limits on external noise generated by all light and heavy vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds in order to limit the contribution of motor traffic to community noise.”

In WA, acceptable noise limits and testing procedures are set out in the Road Traffic (Vehicles) Regulations 2014. But unlike some European countries and other states, such as New South Wales, WA doesn’t have mandatory periodic inspections for all vehicles. Instead, vehicles are tested if an enforcement officer believes they are emitting excessive noise.

While mandatory vehicle checks would assist in identifying the minority of vehicles with safety or noise issues, they would likely impose an additional cost on all drivers, and so the benefits and costs would need to be weighed.

If you come across a vehicle that seems excessively loud—especially if it’s due to modifications or illegal exhausts—you can report it to WA Police on 131 444. While police attendance is not guaranteed and officers may not be able to respond at the time of the incident, reports are recorded and can be used to identify problem vehicles or locations. When appropriate, vehicles may be referred for assessment by Authorised Noise Level Assessors, who manage the testing and compliance process.