Can you hear me now?: Vehicle noise limits set in Saskatchewan

Under a new provincial policy, all light vehicles in Saskatchewan must be quieter than 101.3 decibels.

In March, SGI said it would craft a new provincial policy to identify what constitutes “excessively loud noise” from vehicles. Previously, the judgment was left up to the discretion of law enforcement officers.

On Monday, the noise limit was officially set, and SGI also announced a standard testing procedure to identify vehicles that are overly loud on the roads.

“This provides a definitive line for law enforcement and for vehicle owners to understand how loud is too loud to ensure that vehicles are in compliance with it,” said Tyler McMurchy, manager of media relations at SGI.

The Crown insurer said it will work with SGI-certified inspection stations in the coming weeks “to provide them with equipment and training so they’re ready to test vehicles for noise.” Once the stations are equipped to perform the testing, SGI said enforcement agencies will be able to submit a vehicle for a noise test at one of the qualified stations.

Saskatoon and Regina will get the equipment first, and the policy will then be rolled out provincewide.

McMurchy explained excessive vehicle noise is something SGI hears about from law enforcement officers and residents on a regular basis.

If a driver is told to get a test, they will be required to pay for the test.

Vehicle owners will have an opportunity to test their vehicles without consequences later this month, SGI said, during educational sessions set for June 17 in Regina and June 24 in Saskatoon.

The noise limit applies to light vehicles, which includes passenger cars, pickup trucks, minivans, SUVs and motorcycles.

McMurchy said SGI isn’t trying to silence vehicle noise completely.

“This policy does not eliminate vehicle noise and it’s not even saying that your vehicle can be kind of loud. It’s just establishing how loud is too loud,” he said.

More information on the new policy can be found on SGI’s website.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of this story, correcting the allowed decibel level.