Police Launch 6,500-Drone Crackdown on Noisy and Fast Cars in England and Wales

1st April 2025 – In a landmark move expected to shake the foundations of car culture across the UK, the Home Office today confirmed the full deployment of 6,500 police-operated drones across England and Wales, each equipped with dual noise monitoring and long-range speed detection systems, specifically aimed at clamping down on “anti-social motoring behaviour”.

Dubbed Project SILENCE (Strategic Integrated Law Enforcement of Noisy & Combustion Engines), the initiative has been quietly trialled in parts of Hertfordshire, Cheshire and Surrey since January. From today, however, the full fleet of AEROTAC Mark III drones will be taking to the skies – with the express purpose of identifying, recording, and issuing automatic fines to vehicles that are deemed “excessively noisy or unlawfully quick”.

According to the press release, the drones can now detect engine noise from up to 2.2 miles away, thanks to a proprietary “Tri-Audio Range Matrix” developed by a former Glastonbury sound engineer and a retired RAF radar technician.

What They’re Targeting

The drones have been calibrated to identify specific frequencies associated with high-performance exhaust systems. In particular:

• Any vehicle exceeding 87 decibels at 3,000 rpm (even stationary) is flagged
• Burble maps, crackle tunes, and aftermarket sports exhausts are detected within 1.4 miles, even if the car is idling behind a hedgerow
• Cars that “launch aggressively” from junctions are categorised as exhibiting Tier 2 Unauthorised Rapid Departure (URD)
• Offenders can be hit with on-the-spot £418 fines, 3 points, and in repeat cases, “mandatory car therapy” courses involving a Vauxhall Corsa Life and a driving instructor called Derek

The system uses a database of known loud cars, with a strong focus on supercars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin, and even certain Porsches that have “known pipe behaviour”.

Where the Drones Will Be Deployed

According to internal documents seen by us (marked “For Noise Reduction Eyes Only”), the drones will be flying 24/7 across 46 regions in England and Wales, including:

• The Cotswolds Triangle (Chipping Norton – Bourton – Broadway)
• North Yorkshire “Route 64” hot zones
• The Peak District, with three drones covering every 18 miles of A-road
• The entire Isle of Anglesey, after complaints about “unnecessarily joyful downshifts” during Sunday mornings
• And a new “Red Watch” area surrounding Goodwood Motor Circuit

Each drone is solar-powered, can remain aloft for 18 hours, and returns to its nest (or “Noise Reduction Pod”) only when its memory card fills with up to 700 hours of ‘anti-social noise evidence’.

What Counts as Anti-Social Driving?

The official guidance has listed the following examples of “unacceptable vehicular behaviour”:

• Revving in tunnels or under bridges (labelled “Amplified Arrogance”)
• Gear changes that cause public surprise (especially involving DCTs in Race Mode)
• Visible flames from the exhaust “without immediate culinary purpose”
• Any car cover that uses phrases such as “Beast”, “Weapon”, or “Not My Other Car”

The Police Federation insists the scheme is about “creating a calmer, more equal roads environment” and “giving families in Range Rover Evoques a chance to be heard”.

Real-Time Ticketing via the Cloud

The drones are fully integrated with the DVLA’s new Live Contravention Cloud. When a drone identifies a noise or speed event, it:

1. Matches the car to its make and model using visual AI
2. Cross-references the exhaust note against an online audio database developed in partnership with TikTok
3. Issues a digital fine to the vehicle’s registered keeper, with fines arriving via email or popping up in Apple Wallet

Drivers with more than three offences in a six-month period may be subjected to “Dynamic Detuning Orders” — a court-ordered restriction requiring the car to operate in Wet Mode only for up to 90 days.

In especially loud vehicles (such as the Ferrari 812 GTS or Lamborghini Aventador SVJ), the drones can issue instant throttle cut commands via over-the-air “courtesy compliance pings”, although this feature is still being trialled after two McLarens simultaneously bricked themselves outside Beaconsfield Services.

Owners Fight Back

Motoring groups have responded with dismay. A spokesperson from the British Association of Enthusiasts for Sound and Torque (BAEST) said:

“This is an outrageous violation of basic automotive liberty. Next they’ll be banning full-throttle overtakes or asking us to whisper ‘bwoaaaarrrrppp’ into a pillow”.

Meanwhile, the founder of a nationwide supercar club — who asked to remain anonymous but is rumoured to own a Ferrari 430 Scuderia — described the scheme as “beyond dystopian” and said:

“If they think this is about safety, they’ve lost the plot. It’s about the character assassination of petrolheads. What next? Fining my staff for having loud personalities?”.

More Bizarre Rules Hidden in the Fine Print

The 214-page legislative appendix also includes the following hidden gems:

• An “emissions-inspired curfew” meaning no loud cars may leave home between 6:13 am and 9:02 am
• Drones will automatically play “Enya” via an external speaker if they detect a car exceeding 80 dB
• Future updates will allow drones to detect tyre squeal and “aggressive flake spraying” from ceramic brake dust
• Vehicles with personalised number plates that include numbers representing letters (like F3RRY or L4MB0) will be prioritised for monitoring under “Operation Vanity”
• All drivers caught three times will be forced to daily drive a Toyota Prius for 28 days under new Emissions Recalibration Therapy protocols

And What About Tour Groups?

Touring groups are specifically targeted under Clause 48c: “Coordinated Convoy Offensiveness”.

This includes:

• Use of walkie talkies
• Use of phrases like “give it some beans”, “send it”, or “one more run”
• Driving more than three red cars in a row
• Stopping for scenic photos in “zones of natural acoustical serenity” (e.g. The Lakes, Snowdonia, or the Waitrose car park in Banstead)

Fines may be multiplied by the number of participants, and group leaders may be subject to “Community Driving Obligations”, including six months as a lollipop man in Swindon.

Is There Any Good News?

Yes, sort of. The Home Office has confirmed that any electric vehicle found producing excessive simulated exhaust noise via speakers will not be fined. Instead, they’ll receive a warning letter and a voucher for a flat white at Costa.

Additionally, owners of the hybrid Ferrari 296 GTB are eligible for a “half-fine” scheme, where the electric miles are subtracted from the noisy miles to calculate a “green offset coefficient”.

Final Thoughts

While the initiative has certainly raised eyebrows — and pulses — officials maintain the drone scheme is not anti-car.

“We’re not against performance motoring”, said a representative from the Department of Transport. “We’re just against everything that makes it exciting”.

Please be advised that as of April 1st, none of the above has actually come into force. There are no drones, no detuning orders, and definitely no fines for driving four red Ferraris in convoy (yet).

Written by: Paul Pearce