Drivers Fined Near Buckingham Palace for Dangerous Car Meets Caught by Noise Cameras
Four drivers have been slapped with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) after being caught on camera performing burnouts, doughnuts, and revving their engines at a late-night unregistered car meet less than a mile from Buckingham Palace. The fines were issued by Westminster City Council after the drivers triggered strategically placed acoustic noise cameras off Pall Mall, an area notorious for attracting car enthusiasts and boy racers.
This crackdown is part of an ongoing enforcement effort by Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police to combat anti-social and dangerous driving in central London. The latest offenders included a highly modified BMW Coupe and a Mercedes C63 AMG valued at nearly £100,000. CCTV footage showed these drivers performing reckless doughnuts perilously close to onlookers and other vehicles. Some were even seen blocking roads and revving their engines near residential areas, generating noise levels of around 90 decibels—comparable to a jackhammer or the roar of a London Underground train.
The noise cameras, installed in 2021, are designed to activate when they detect sounds over 80-90 decibels. Using AI technology, the cameras can differentiate between engine noises and typical car horns, monitoring sound patterns with microphones placed about five metres above the ground. These high-tech devices can detect disruptive noise events occurring up to approximately 10-15 metres away.
Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection at Westminster City Council, expressed her concerns:
“Driving like this is not only unwelcome in Westminster but also incredibly dangerous. We often notice an increase of this behaviour during the summer, but we will continue to work throughout the year to deter this from happening.”
She added, “We have a zero-tolerance policy for anti-social driving, so I welcome the latest round of fines and hope by working with our partners we can identify others. If you are looking to meet up with cars like this, our streets are not the place for it.”
This latest action highlights Westminster’s commitment to clamping down on disruptive and dangerous driving behaviours, particularly in areas frequented by residents and tourists alike. The council and police’s ongoing efforts aim to make London’s streets safer and more enjoyable for everyone, sending a clear message that anti-social driving will not be tolerated.
With these measures in place, Westminster is determined to put the brakes on reckless driving, protecting both the public and the city’s iconic landmarks from becoming backdrops to hazardous stunts.
Link to Westminster City Council’s official website for more information on their initiatives against anti-social driving.
