Call to silence boy racer cars

A South Island hotelier is backing calls for the Government to introduce tougher standards for noisy boy racer car exhausts.

Christchurch hotel manager Penny Clark said overseas guests were shocked by the level of car noise and that it was tolerated in towns throughout the country.

"The country has a real problem. And it is not just hoteliers and tourism.

"We should be looking after the welfare of all New Zealanders and doing something about it," she said.

One hotel manager near Cathedral Square said that his business lost up to $25,000 a year due to late night noise from the boy racers.

A campaign this month - Noise Off - drew attention to the growing number of complaints from tourists who say they cannot get a decent night's sleep in many inner city hotels, she said.

The noise from convoys of boy racers sometimes lasted all night and affected many businesses and communities, she said.

"Our hotel frequently receives complaints from customers who are bewildered by our Government's lack of action," she says.

"If you complain to the authorities about a noisy stereo on your neighbour's property, they'll come and close down the party.

"But unfortunately you can't do that with an engine revving at the traffic lights."

Noisy exhausts were unnecessary and should be banned. Police were unable to act as the law left them powerless, she said.

Noise Off, a charitable trust, is campaigning to have an exhaust noise test introduced as part of the standard warrant of fitness test.

The trust was established in July this year, to tackle the problem of exhaust noise.

- NZPA