Roadways across southwestern Saskatchewan should become quieter moving forward.

SGI is clamping down on noisy vehicles after establishing a 101.3 decible limit emitted for cars, pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, and motorcycles.

The change shifts the onus from police officers to noise testing equipment.

"It doesn't differ too much from the policy we had in place already which left it up to the officer's discretion to determine if a vehicle was emitting excessive noise," Michaela Solomon, a communications consultant with SGI, said. "This rather than leaving it up to the discretion of an officer puts a definitive limit on how loud a vehicle can be."

Police will still be responsible for identifying which vehicles aren't compliant. The motorist will then be issued a citation with a specified date to make changes. 

"The driver will then be required to make the necessary adjustments to bring their vehicle into compliance," she said. "If the driver hasn't reported back with their vehicle in compliance by the timeframe set out, SGI will contact them to let them know they have 30-days to pass a noise test and if they don't comply by that time their registration [for that vehicle] will be cancelled."

The cost for the test will fall on the owner of the vehicle.

SGI will be working with SGI-certified shops in the coming weeks to provide them with equipment and training to perform the tests. Inspection stations will first roll out in Regina and Saskatoon before branching out to other communities. 

Anyone that would like to have their vehicle tested for free can attend a noise testing educational event in Regina (June 17) or Saskatoon (June 24).