Those drivers with a taste for ‘thundering’ may soon have a new enemy. France has already installed in fourteen of its French cities new radars called Medusa, to identify cars and motorcycles that exceed the decibel threshold allowed by law when modifying their exhausts. Specifically, these radars have a structure that incorporates five microphones that detect the noise levelor what is the same, allows you to scan sounds up to ten times per second.
In addition, the Medusa radar incorporates a 360º camera to capture the offender. If the system proves efficient, these radars are expected to be installed throughout the rest of France by early 2023. And after the tests, it is expected that all those vehicles that exceed 90 decibels will be sanctioned with a fine of 135 euros.
And in the case of Spain? According to Faconauto, for the moment, some municipalities are going to study the data of the French roads for the future installation in Spain. In fact, a sound level meter has been installed on the C-31 in Barcelona. Similarly, in all EU countries a noise test will be necessary to obtain a favorable ITV from 2024.
According to the French Ministry of the Interior, it is estimated that a single motorcycle with a modified exhaust that exceeds the acoustic limits established at night can wake up 10,000 people. Therefore, it is a measure that comes by virtue of citizen health. “Especially at night, the stress caused by the noise level can cause serious pathologies, generating problems of deafness, cardiovascular diseases, anxiety disorders, diabetes and obesity,” says the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the ecological transition, Dan Lert.