Beijing's noisy streets are set to become a lot quieter as the city begins punishing violators of its rarely-enforced car horn ban through the use of automated detectors.

Currently implemented in 20 areas throughout the city, violators caught improperly using their horn will be fined RMB 100 (USD 15).

First unveiled last summer, the automated detectors use a sonar system to accurately pinpoint the specific vehicle that made the offending honk. From there, the detectors use a camera system to record the vehicle's license plate, which authorities will use to track down the owner of the vehicle.

A third system comprising of an LED sign will notify the violating driver in real-time that their offense has been recorded by the automated setup.

The system is said to be so precise that it can identify violators within two seconds as well as distinguish between two vehicles traveling side-by-side.

"Parallel vehicles can also be identified based on their position in each lane; the recognition locator feature can reflect the direction the honks are coming from, so there will be no misjudgment," said Li Jianfeng, deputy director of the Scientific and Technical Information Department of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.

So far, the system has been very effective at its job, capturing nearly 30,000 violators during a pilot project that started at the beginning of the year.

By law, horn use is prohibited within Beijing's Fifth Ring Road and near special schools and hospitals except in the case of an emergency. Dating back to 2007, the current ban has been difficult to enforce because it required the presence of a traffic officer to both verify the violation and then immediately issue a ticket.

Will your neighborhood be affected? The automated noise detectors are designated for these twenty Beijing areas:

Dongcheng District (东城区)

Xiehe (Peking Union) Hospital west gate (协和医院西门)
Zhengyi Road intersection (正义路路口)
Taijiguang Boulevard (台基厂大街)

Xicheng (西城区)

Zhongda'an Hutong (中大安胡同)
Xihuang Chenggen North Street (西黄城根北街)
North entrance to Fuyou Street (府右街北口)
Intersection of Chang'an Road and Fuyou Street (长安街与府右街交会口)
Zhenwumiao Toutiao (真武庙头条)
Intersection at Xijiaomin Alley and the Great Hall of the People (西交民巷与人民大会堂路交会口)
North entrance to Beichang Street (北长街北口)
Taipingqiao Boulevard (太平桥大街)
North side of Fendou Elementary School (奋斗小学北侧路口)

Haidian District (海淀区)

Taipingzhuang Bridge, North Third Ring Service Road (北三环辅路太平庄桥)
North entrance to Yangfangdian West Road (羊坊店西路北口)
Huangzhuang Road entrance (海淀黄庄路口)

Shijingshan District (石景山区)

No. 51 Elementary School, Bajiaodong Street (八角东街五一小学)

Tongzhou District (通州区)

Luhe Hospital, Xinhua South Road (新华南路潞河医院

Changping District (昌平区)

Changping Traffic Detachment entrance, Fuxue Road (府学路昌平交通支队门口)

Fengtai District (丰台区)

In front of 18 Qunxing Road (群星路18中门前)

Fangshan District (房山区)

Area of Jingshen Road and Changyang International Road 京深路长阳国际路段

Images: BJ Youth Daily (youth.cn)

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