Residents are 'sick to death' of noisy driving

Residents calling for action against dangerous and loud driving have described how their towns are being used as "racetracks".

Elaine Kent from Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, said the sound of speeding vehicles and "popping" exhausts are a nightly occurrence in her area, often going on until the early hours of the morning.

She said "everyone is sick to death of it" and "something has to be done because I believe somebody will get killed soon, it's very, very dangerous".

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: "Officers continue to work tirelessly to remove these dangerous and reckless drivers from our roads."

Kent said: "They're racing around with loud exhausts popping all the time."

She added that the noise pollution is coupled with speeding and she believes it will "end up with something really bad happening".

Kent has lived in the seaside town near Gosport for her whole life but says she has not experienced anything like this before.

She said she would welcome the introduction of more speed cameras and technology that can also catch loud drivers.

Kent's concerns were raised with the BBC through BBC Your Voice, where residents from across the south of England reported noise and speeding issues in their communities.

Frank Croton also got in touch and said it has been a similar situation in Fareham, Hampshire, where he has lived for 12 years.

He said the "noisy boys" come out throughout the week with "high revving" motorbikes and "a big backfire" from the cars.

"They don't stop at midnight, it goes on until the early hours," he said.

The 69-year-old admitted he was a car enthusiast when he was younger, who would customise his vehicles, but he believes those who now engage in this hobby are showing "a total disregard for anybody else".

He said he respects that police forces are stretched but he wants to see them given greater powers to crackdown on the loud and dangerous driving.

"Make these people appreciate that it's not just about them they need to consider everybody else," Croton said.

The comments follow calls from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Donna Jones, who has asked the government to do more to tackle excessively noisy vehicle exhausts.

Jones said: "Countless people have told me how the constant racket is affecting their ability to enjoy their homes and get a decent night's sleep."

She told BBC Radio Solent the technology exists to monitor the noise and speed of vehicles but it cannot be used to issue fines or to prosecute drivers until it is approved by the relevant government departments.

Jones said that she wants police to act when drivers purposefully drive around late at night down residential streets "dropping their clutch and revving their accelerator" but not target the hobbyists.

In England, it is illegal to modify a vehicle's exhaust so that it becomes noisier than the version approved when it was manufactured.

Drivers can face police action if their vehicle is excessively noisy, while those involved in racing, aggressive driving or excessive speeding could be prosecuted for dangerous driving.

Police can also seize vehicles used antisocially, with a change in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 meaning officers can take the vehicles without first issuing a warning.

Steve Kilcoyne, managing director of a Dorset based exhaust manufacturer, said he does not condone antisocial driving and argued that excessive noise is not limited to modified vehicles.

"The yobbish boy racer behaviour that nobody condones is dangerous as well as antisocial," he said. "This can occur even with an ordinary exhaust, and many sports cars are noisy as standard."

Mr Kilcoyne said his Bridport-based company does not allow dealers to add "pops and bangs" modifications and believes more should be done to tackle disruptive driving.

"Please don't blame those of us who make exhausts responsibly for a living," he added.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said unauthorised car meets often involved "loud exhausts and dangerous driving".

The force said nearly 200 drivers had been dealt with for more than 300 offences linked to illegal car meets since August 2024.

It added that action against "dangerous and reckless drivers" had helped reduce illegal car meets by 43%.

A Government spokesperson from the Department for Transport said: "Noisy exhausts are a nuisance. That's why police have new powers to seize vehicles being used antisocially.

"We are keeping new technologies like noise cameras under review, but it's right that local authorities, who know their communities best, decide how to use them."