Sleepless Terralong Street residents want the state government to install new sound cameras next year, after enduring revving cars and motorbikes on the weekends.

The NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and NSW Police are testing noise cameras in Wollongong and Bayside to detect the decibel level from passing cars and motorbikes.

While the success of Destination Kiama means more than 1.3 million visitors passed through the municipality in the last year, success has come at a cost.

Terralong Street resident Penny Montgomery says the noise from hoons revving their cars is staggering.

“This is the noisiest place I’ve ever lived in. Residents are consistently woken after midnight by idiots revving their cars and tearing up and down Terralong Street,” she says.

“They speed through Woolworths carpark and then belt past Blue Haven at 1:00 or 2:00 am. Noise cameras are a great idea. The sooner, the better.”

Lizzie Mion lives across the road from Woolworths on Terralong Street, and says the cars and motorbikes keep her up at night.

“They start at the roundabout (Havilah Place) and rev their engines on weekends until they scream. I don’t know why they do it. They must be from out of town.”

Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said in April, pending the completion of the tests, the government will install sound technology cameras in NSW.

“Car hoons are on notice. The NSW Government has heard the community’s concerns about noisy vehicles and is committed to sourcing and testing the most effective methods to deter anti-social behaviour on our roads,” she said.

Aggressive young drivers spoil seaside tranquillity. Photo credit Traffic Technology Today.

In New South Wales, the noise threshold from a car exhaust must not exceed 90 decibels and for motorbikes, 94 decibels.

“The EPA is working closely with local councils, NSW Police and Transport for NSW on the trial, which will establish whether noise cameras are an effective method for identifying noisy vehicles,” says a NSW EPA spokesperson.

The EPA can issue fines of $150 to $500 to individuals, while the police can issue a $206 fine for "operating a vehicle to produce unnecessary noise" – including performing a burnout or revving.

Fines can also be issued for altering an exhaust or air intake to increase noise levels, while drivers can receive two demerit points and a $150 fine for "causing an offensive noise to be emitted from a sound system.”

NSW police figures show the majority of drivers, who had their cars defected or impounded in the last three years, were young men aged 17-29.

Hoon paying respects to the locals.

A pilot study last year by Canadian psychologist, Dr Julie Aitken Schermer, published in Psychology Today, predicted young drivers with loud exhausts could be needy narcissists and sadists.

“The results suggest individuals who make their vehicles loud may be doing so to deliberately hurt others by disturbing them …”

To report ‘rev-heads’ and noisy exhausts, contact the EPA at: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/noise/vehicle-noise/reporting-noisy-vehicle-exhaust.