| The Producer | 07-31-2020 06:38 PM |
PCA-CWR putting in work. No disrespect to the members here that have volunteered countless hours to try and make some headway on this issue, but we knew it would be the right person getting tagged w the time and resources to at least make some headway. Quote:
VANCOUVER SOUND TESTING WIN!
Dear PCA Canada West Region members,
My good friends Joel Parker, who served as our club’s past president, and Todd Coupal our club’s Safety Chair asked me to share my experience with you. As the son of a career police officer, I salute the important work our police perform to safeguard our communities. I love Vancouver and cherish the peace and tranquility in our beloved city.
I consider myself very fortunate to enjoy cars like my Porsches. However, a few months ago while driving my 911 Targa 4S type 991.1, I experienced this unpleasant incident: https://youtu.be/3uj1-anjA5A The officer conducted a roadside noise test on my car and recorded decibel (dB) readings of 103 dB in normal and 104 dB in sports mode - exceeding Vancouver’s noise limits of 83 dB. Information gathered from the Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME) occurrence file, violation ticket and notice and order unanimously confirmed that the officer used this noise test information in his investigation of the noise violation and from it issued forth the Notice and Order.
I am grateful towards the leadership of the Vancouver Police Department Traffic Section for reviewing my violation ticket. However, it was inconvenient to comply with the Notice and Order (Box 2 that required a full vehicle inspection). I visited Porsche Vancouver (as directed by the officer) and then the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) inspection facility at Weissach. Following their respective inspections, they unequivocally confirmed that my Porsche Targa was; completely stock, operating in factory specifications, completely unmodified without any visual, mechanical or electrical faults, damage or any defects. The officer’s subjective determination that my car required a rather serious box 2 full inspection was unfounded - it wasted a lot of my time and cost me $160 for the inspection.
While I was at the CVSE inspection facility, I instructed them to perform a noise test in accordance to ISO5130 (sound testing procedure) on my car using a calibrated instrument. They measured 78 dB to 82.8 dB in regular mode and 80 dB to 83.1 dB in sports mode. After taking into account that ISO5130 procedures clearly states, “caution should be exercised when measuring rear-and mid engine vehicles because engine and cooling fan noise can prevent accurate measurement of exhaust noise”, my car was safely compliant with Vancouver’s noise limits.
The 20 dB noise discrepancies between the CVSE inspection facility’s noise measurements (conducted in controlled conditions) and the officer’s noise measurements (conducted roadside) on a windy and noisy bridge (60 dB to 76 dB ambient noise) made me question the officer’s subjective abilities and his testing methodology. 20 decibels is not insignificant because sound is measured on a logarithmic scale rather than a linear scale - an increase in 10 decibels represents double the sound for human ears while 20 decibels is quadruple the sound to human ears. 100 dB would be equivalent to a 707 jet taking off at 305 meters at YVR.
I shared my concerns with the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) and after their independent investigation they concluded the following:
“The OPCC is of the view there is a misapplication by the Vancouver Police Department Traffic Section of the authorities granted under the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations causing cost and considerable inconveniences to members of the public. It is also unclear what practices are being followed by other police agencies. Therefore, the OPCC has made a recommendation to the Provincial Police Services Division to review this practice, whether through their office or through the appropriate Ministry, related to Division 25 and the issuance of Notice and Orders to determine whether additional clarity is required to assist departments with the interpretation and application of this regulation.”
The Vancouver Police and other police agencies apply ISO5130 testing procedures for their roadside noise tests. https://www.unece.org/…/wp…/ECE-TRAN...-45-inf01e.pdf
Despite their officer’s best efforts, the OPCC’s investigation demonstrated the enormous challenges and difficulties of proper application of this test on the roadside. On my case alone, the OPCC discovered that the officer “missed numerous testing procedure steps.” Having reviewed ISO5130 with CVSE inspectors and sound experts, it became clear that some of the ISO5130’s critical testing procedures are virtually impossible to perform on the roadside in the real world. Some examples include:
1. Ensuring the testing site was suitable as per the requirements of ISO5130;
2. Determination of the meteorological conditions prior to the test and taking the conditions into account, specifically wind noise;
3. Conducting testing procedures correctly, notably adhering to a caution listed at the bottom of page 3 of ISO5130 which stated: Caution should be exercised when measuring rear-and mid-engine vehicles (like Porsche 911, Boxster, Cayman, 918 and Carrera GT models) because engine and cooling fan noise can prevent accurate measurement of exhaust noise”
It takes a community to help a community. I have tremendous gratitude towards the OPCC for their investigation and landmark recommendation. Thank you to our Porsche Club members for all your generous advise - Quora with cars and coffee. I am also thankful towards Inspector Earl Andersen and Staff Sergeant Kevin Bernardin from the Vancouver Police for meeting with our community and me and for their genuine commitment to finding fair solutions. I want to thank my friend Wilkins Chung for generating an incredible amount of research. I was humbled by the support I received from friends from the police who recognized the unfairness and failings of these roadside noise tests. Your open mindedness to learn coupled with your appetite for change demonstrates how progressive our police truly are.
I sincerely hope everyone is respectful towards each other. Please allow the Provincial Police Services Division and the appropriate Ministry to review and work on improving BC’s police noise testing, directives, policies and procedures to insure fairness for all motorists. Please enjoy a wonderful summer!
Respectfully with regards,
Kevin Yeung
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