Motorists in a new Aussie state could soon face a new high-tech threat, with sound-detection cameras proposed to catch drivers revving engines, screeching tyres, and using loud exhausts.
Adelaide City Councillor Phillip Martin is pushing for an investigation into the technology, which uses microphones to detect excessive vehicle noise before a camera captures the offending vehicle’s number plate.
The proposed cameras could be used at troublesome locations, including O’Connell Street in North Adelaide and Hutt Street, where residents have complained about hoon driving and excessive noise.
“It’s the hoon ride, people who are accelerating in modified cars that make a lot of noise,” Martin told 7News. “Everything about these cars says, ‘Hey, look at me’.”
The technology has already been used in Victoria and New South Wales.
How the ‘sound cameras’ work
Unlike traditional roadside cameras, the technology uses acoustic sensors to detect vehicles exceeding a set noise threshold.
Once the threshold is reached, a camera can capture images of the vehicle and its registration plate.
Noise cameras were trialled in NSW. Source: UK Government
Martin added that the technology could help authorities catch drivers making excessive noise, rather than relying on police to be in the right place at the right time.
Under the proposal, drivers could initially receive warnings, with repeat offenders potentially facing fines.
Any Adelaide trial would require backing from the South Australian Government.
South Australian police already have powers to stop vehicles and issue fines for excessive noise from modified exhausts or amplified sound equipment.
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NSW has already put them to the test
The push in Adelaide comes after an Australian-first noise camera trial in NSW was completed.
The NSW Government trialled three cameras across the Bayside and Wollongong council areas, with the technology collecting data on noisy vehicles and driving behaviour.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority said the data is now being analysed to inform future options for managing noisy vehicles.
No fines were issued during the trial.
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Adelaide City Councillor Phillip Martin said the technology could help authorities catch drivers making excessive noise. Source: 7News/Intelligent Instruments
The trial found noisy driving was particularly common at night and on weekends, while motorcycles accounted for about 55 per cent of detections despite representing a much smaller share of registered vehicles.
The technology is also moving ahead in Victoria, where authorities announced a two-year, $1.3 million trial involving seven acoustic cameras to identify excessively noisy vehicles and capture their registration plates.
If approved, Adelaide council administration is expected to examine the potential risks and benefits, with a report due in November 2026.
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