Just letting all the people in the granny-state (VIC) know that operation Pipe down is taking effect in the very near future.
Operation
PIPEDOWN
Prepared By:
Arthur MAKRIDIS Leading Senior Constable 27613 Melbourne East Police
Authorised By:
Inspector Bernard B JACKSON 24565
SITUATION
As part of The Way Ahead strategic Plan 2008 2013 the Victoria Police is supporting Victorias Road Safety Strategy Arrive Alive, which is to reduce the road toll and the incidence of road trauma. The focus will be on targeting driver behaviour and promoting safety on our roads.
On Tuesday the 20th of April 2010, Operation Pipedown, targeting excessively noisy motor vehicles and safety related offences will commence. The operation will accompany a media campaign. The operation will be conducted in the Melbourne area for a two week period, concluding on Saturday the 1st of May 2010. The media campaign will commence one week before the enforcement phase of the operation, commencing on the 13th of April, 2010. This initiative will be conducted in conjunction with:
Police Media Liaison Unit, Melbourne University Medical Faculty, Environment Protection Authority, Melbourne City Council, Safe Streets Task Force, Region 1 TMU.
It is anticipated that various community groups together with anti-noise lobby groups will be providing their support to the media campaign.
Excessively loud motor vehicles are a community disorder issue with much of the blame placed on drivers of illegally modified cars and motorcycles, or sport bikes equipped with illegal exhaust systems such as straight pipes, drag pipes or performance pipes.
Excessive noise is a serious environmental problem impacting health and well-being. The effects of this excessive noise should not be trivialized.
Excessively loud motor vehicles constitute an offence against the Environment Protection Act.
In combination with a focus on excessively loud motor vehicles, the focus will also be towards safety related offences. Offences such as: Drink Driving, Roadworthy Offences, Fail to Wear Seat Belt, Fail to Give Signal, Use Hand Held Mobile Phone While Driving.
The operation will be conducted alongside, and in conjunction with the Safe Streets Task Force effort on the Friday and Saturday nights, as the excessively loud motor vehicle drivers come under the banner of anti-social behaviour. The Police members engaged in the operation on these nights will complement the Safe Streets Task force members, and will conduct duties consistent with the Safe Streets Initiative. The purpose of the operation will be two fold: Informational Education and Enforcement.
1. Informational Education
Informational education will be provided to the public, through a carefully managed media campaign.
The Melbourne University medical faculty staff (Audiology, and related fields) will provide experts to outline the health risks associated with excessively loud motor vehicle noise, supported by relevant research. The faculty staff will not provide any front line support.
The media departments of the other participating authorities will be briefed and available for any media interviews, relevant to their authoritys fields of expertise.
The target population will be informed of the impact of the noise generated within the community, rather than relying solely on an enforcement campaign.
2. Enforcement
Police members will be issuing EPA Notices in relation to excessively loud motor vehicles and infringement notices/briefs in relation to other traffic offences. The EPA will provide vehicle testers for a part of the operation. The EPA Officers will also test loud and smoky heavy vehicles in the Melbourne area, including the Docklands vicinity. EPA staff will process the issued EPA Notices. A select number of Melbourne City Council Law Enforcement Officers (3 Law Enforcement and 3 Parking and Traffic Officers), will attend training at the EPA. The training will be conducted prior to the commencement of the operation. This training will provide the EPA with the confidence that these officers have the ability to subjectively assess vehicles they consider to be excessively noisy. Melbourne City Council Officers will not be intercepting motor vehicles for this purpose, however will issue and submit Spotting Reports for excessively loud motor vehicles driven through the Melbourne CBD. The Melbourne City Council will share the responsibility of enforcing noise control. A multi-agency approach will provide a maximum impact to this noise reduction and safe driving strategy.
Yeh I know it's already been posted mate. Just want to make everyone aware that it's not a hoax or anything. Its actually hapening and in full operation.
