Whereas many residents and neighbourhoods in the GTA, including Mississauga, have experienced an unacceptable increase in noise as a result of modified car and vehicle engines that has become incredibly apparent during COVID-19;
And whereas Peel Police have been cracking down recently on these “noisemakers”;
And whereas it is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) for the driver of a vehicle to permit smoke to escape from the vehicle or to cause the vehicle to make any unnecessary noise;
And whereas the HTA requires every motor vehicle to be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and excessive smoke and prohibits the use of a muffler cut-out, straight exhaust, gutted muffler, Hollywood muffler, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle;
And whereas the act of modifying the exhaust system of a motor vehicle is not currently an offence under the HTA and muffler and auto-body shops continue to provide such services;
And whereas in 2019 the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, S.O. 2019, c. 14 was enacted to amend the HTA to include a new section (s. 75.1) that will make it an offence to tamper with motor vehicles by:
(a) removing, bypassing, defeating or rendering inoperative all or part of a motor vehicle’s emission control system; or
(b) modifying a motor or motor vehicle in any way that results in increased emissions from the level to which it was originally designed or certified by the manufacturer of the motor or motor vehicle;
And whereas s.75.1 of the Act will also prohibit the sale of tampering devices that create excessive noise on our streets and in our neighbourhoods;
And whereas the Lieutenant Governor has not yet proclaimed s.75.1 of the HTA to be in force and effect;
Therefore, be it resolved that the City of Mississauga immediately call on the Province to request that s.75.1 of the Highway Traffic Act be proclaimed and brought into force immediately.