Police on Saturday issued 40 traffic tickets to motorists for playing loud and amplified music in their motor vehicles without the approval of the Commissioner of Police.
This is an offence under regulation 31 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, Regulation 483 of the Revised Edition of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Police Public Relations Department said Monday that the police force granted permission for the holding of a road trip on Saturday.
The event commenced at 9 a.m. at the Peace Memorial Hall and concluded in Troumaca.
Head of the Traffic Department, Superintendent of Police, Kenneth John said that at previous similar events, a level of reckless driving was exhibited by some motorists and as a precautionary measure, his department deployed traffic officers along the route to regulate the traffic, ensure safety and make sure that the traffic laws were upheld.
John stated that he was very satisfied and happy that no one sustained any injury during the road trip, however, traffic officers had cause to issue 40 traffic tickets to motorists who were in breach of the traffic regulation.
He said some drivers were issued as many as five tickets each for failing to comply with the aforementioned regulations.
“The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force wishes to remind the general public and motorists in particular that it is an offence to play loud music in motor vehicles without the approval of the Commissioner of Police and therefore urge compliance to the regulation,” the Police Public Relations Department said.
“Superintendent John thanks all motorists and commuters for their support to the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and by extension to the Traffic Department. He advises motorists to always exercise caution and care while driving on our nation’s roads. He further advises everyone to wear their seatbelts, observe the road traffic signs and comply with the traffic officer’s signals and instructions at all times,” the press statement said.
The best news I’ve heard out of SVG in a long time.
The state must also crack down on loud music blaring from rum shops and private homes all across the land.
There is an anti-loud music act that have been on the books for over 20 years but which is rarely enforced.
The police need to be equiped with noise metres (these devises are very cheap to buy — under $EC 50.00 for a reliable metre) at every police station and use them regularly to punish those disturbing the peace of other citizens.
Every citizen has an absolute right to listen to music night and day as long as this does not interfere with the right of other citizens to enjoy peace and quiet in their homes and surrounding areas.
I am aware that very loud music is played in buses and some cars and should rightly be made illegal, but is ticketing this offence legally enforceable without a noise meter readout as evidence. The law must state what level of noise nuisance is acceptable by defining where cut off points are. If this is not done then police would have to make a subjective judgement which ultimately could be challenged in the courts. So my question is, are the police issued with noise level meters? If not, how can they determine what constitutes high levels of sound. I know that it is very obvious when music is been played beyond acceptable levels, but if an “acceptable level” is not defined in law, then prosecutions could be based on what an individual officer considers to be excessive noise levels, it’s easy to see that some unfair prosecutions could be the result if that is the case. So again, for clarity, I must ask what are the defined noise levels defined in law? and are police officers issued with meters to provide irrefutable proof that that level has been exceeded. Would someone with knowledge of the law please comment.
MIGHT BE AN EVIDENTIAL PROBLEM
Interesting development.In some jurisdictions, ‘…Motorcades or Road Trips’ are usually accompanied with the playing of music.
Motorists often joined only for fun. Organizers normally have no objection, nor control over who may join in.
Since amplified sound systems have a ‘…volume control mechanism,’ that even for in-amplified radios, motorists can ‘…turn up or turn down the volume,’ there could be a difficulty speaking to loudness without a ‘…Decibel Meter.’
With this kind of prosecutorial exercise, it is to be assumed that there was ‘…an operable instrument to measure and record the decibels or sound levels of the music played by each motorist.
This would be contingent upon the ‘…legally-specified allowable level of Decibels.’
It begs the question, ‘…How would the Ticketing officers present such evidence before the Court?’
Moreover, likened to speed checking radars, the readings on a ‘…Decibel Meter’ have to be shown to offending motorists.
In the absence of such instrument, Defence attorneys could have a field day in Cross-examination of the Ticketing officers on (i) ‘…their expertise; (ii) …operable condition; and (iii) …use of such instrument.’
Not sure what obtains in this jurisdiction. The Editor might have something interesting to report upon.
Easy case to defend. Subjectivity never makes got hood law.
I hate the loud music and all BUT this legislative provision which requires permission of the COP is archaic, impractical and unrealistic.
With no decibel meter, isn’t this a subjective test?
Since when the intent of Parliament is subjective?
Legislative, please relook this section of the legislation soonest!
Why has happened to my comment which has disappeared.
It has now reappeared, very strange.
Without defined decibel levels. It’s all a biased system.
I agree.
this decibel argument is NONSENSE. ……in that case every neighbor that complains of loud music should have a decibel meter reader ……and every police should walk around with a meter reader before they issue a ticket ???? which also mean the perpetrators can lower the volume before a police arrive then raise it after they leave lol……iwitness testimony is the ultimate evidence along in collaboration with other facts