Belgian city puts brakes on deafening drivers by enforcing noise limits

Ghent authorities threaten to impound noisy vehicles, as residents protest about engines and exhausts

Drivers who play booming music, slam on the gas or screech around town have been put on notice by the Belgian city of Ghent: their vehicles could be confiscated for breaching noise limits.

The Flemish city introduced a new regulation last month allowing police to impound vehicles whose drivers were causing excessive noise, either by playing loud music - dubbed boom cars - aggressive driving, or tampering with engines and exhaust pipes to make their vehicles noisier.