Traffic Safety Team cracks down on noisy vehicles this summer
The City of Calgary’s Traffic Safety Team is stepping up enforcement this month to reduce vehicle noise and improve quality of life in neighbourhoods across the city. Drivers operating excessively loud or modified vehicles can expect increased monitoring and fines.
Vehicle noise is more than just an annoyance. It disrupts daily life, affects mental and physical well-being, and reduces the livability of our communities. The City of Calgary is asking all drivers to be mindful of how their vehicles impact others.
“Loud vehicles affect everyone,” said Inspector Brad Johnson, head of the Traffic Safety Team. “This is about shared responsibility. We all contribute to safer, quieter streets through respectful driving and awareness of how our actions affect our neighbours.”
What is a noisy vehicle?
Examples of common noisy vehicle violations include:
- Noisy exhausts and mufflers
- Excessive engine revving
- Squealing tires
- Roaring or explosive sounds
- Loud stereos
- Amplification equipment
- Recurring or prolonged vehicle alarms
Additionally, modifying a vehicle to increase noise, such as installing aftermarket mufflers or altering exhaust systems, is a violation of the Traffic Safety Act and subject to penalties.
What drivers need to know
The Traffic Safety Team utilizes advanced tools, including calibrated decibel meters, noise sensors and body-worn cameras, to detect and document violations. Enforcement is focused on areas with high traffic complaints and noise reports.
Peace officers assess objectionable vehicle noise utilizing various factors, including technological measurements, data and information such as location, time of day, volume and duration of the objectionable noise. Drivers are responsible for all noise generated by their vehicles.
Fines include:
- $270 for operating a vehicle over the legal noise limit
- $300 for failing to comply during a noise level test
Help reduce noise pollution
Here’s how you can help:
- Keep your vehicle in good shape and take it in for repairs promptly when needed
- Reduce your stereo volume and avoid excessive engine revving
- Drive with consideration and respect your neighbours
- Restore your vehicle to its original condition if you have modified it with after-market parts
Residents can report noisy vehicles through 311 (phone, app or online). Urgent safety issues should be reported to Calgary Police via 9-1-1. Reports help The City identify problem areas and prioritize enforcement efforts.
Why reducing vehicle noise matters
Vehicle noise affects our health. Studies link traffic noise to stress, poor sleep and reduced focus. In Calgary’s growing communities, especially near major roads, the impact is real.
Reducing vehicle noise is about respect. Simple actions like maintaining your vehicle and driving mindfully help create safer, more livable communities for everyone – from shift workers trying to sleep during the day, to families with young children, residents in care homes, and people enjoying an evening on the patio on 17th Avenue S.W.
“We all have a part to play,” said Johnson. “A city with less noise pollution is more welcoming, more livable and better for everyone.”
About the Traffic Safety Team
Emergency Management and Community Safety’s Traffic Safety Team began operation in March 2025.
In November 2023, Council voted to create the Traffic Safety Act and allocated $1.69M in response to growing community concerns about road safety, excessive vehicle noise and the need for stronger collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
The Traffic Safety Team helps provide additional resources to keep Traffic Safety a top priority in the City of Calgary. Our Peace Officers work in collaboration with Mobility Services, the Calgary Police Service, the Calgary Parking Authority, and other agencies to enhance and support the excellent work already being done in managing traffic safety.
Learn more
To learn more about the Traffic Safety Team and how Calgary is working to reduce vehicle noise, visit:
www.calgary.ca/trafficsafetyteam.
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