Mr. Lucasasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what Regulations he has made to ensure that manufacturers of certain 100 miles-an-hour two-seater sports cars reduce the exhaust noise of these vehicles to a reasonable minimum; whether he is aware that, under certain circumstances, some of these cars can be driven in such a way as to be disturbing to the public; and whether he will arrange for a report to be made on the efficiency of the silencing arrangements on selected makes and types.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterRegulation 20 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1955, requires that 55W every vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine shall be fitted with a silencer expansion chamber or other contrivance suitable and sufficient for reducing as far as may be reasonable the noise caused by the escape of the exhaust gases from the engine.
Where exhaust noise is excessive, it is usually due to alteration of the silencer or failure to maintain it in good and efficient order or to the vehicle being driven without reasonable consideration; in all such cases the owner or user is committing an offence under Regulations 77 or 82. If my hon. Friend will give me details of any particular make or model he has in mind, I will investigate.