traffic noise News
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European Parliament vote for quieter vehicles a sound investment
After three postponements (1), the Environment Committee of the European Parliament has voted for tighter future noise limits for vehicles. The standards of future noise limit values was accepted in a tight vote defeating an alternative proposal that would have allowed much louder sports cars, buses and trucks onto the road. Reducing noise from vehicles is a public health imperative, with nearly ...
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Health report adds to pressure for stricter noise standards
A new World Health Organisation report says Europeans lose at least one million healthy life-years due to traffic noise every year. The findings are likely to put pressure on the EU to produce a meaningful revision of the vehicle noise directive that is due this summer. The report includes data that measure exposure to traffic noise and its impact on health in terms of heart disease, sleep ...
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Commission finally tackles problem of traffic noise
Traffic noise has suddenly moved up the EU agenda, with the Commission promising to cut noise from cars, vans, buses and lorries within five years. A proposal due later this year is expected to seek to reduce car noise by four decibels and lorry noise by three. The issue of noise has lagged behind EU efforts to cut air pollutant emissions, but a recent study suggesting that the benefits of ...
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A quarter of Europe’s population exposed to harmful traffic noise
‘Noise in Europe 2014’, published today by the EEA, analyses exposure to noise levels and resulting environmental health problems. The effects of noise are particularly widespread. For the one in four Europeans exposed to noise levels above the EU’s threshold for assessment and action, there are both direct and indirect health effects, the report states. Traffic noise annoys ...
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Sleeping near airports is bad for your health, says research
Recent studies indicate that exposure to noise is damaging to your health. New research from the EU-funded HYENA (Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports) Study1 shows that living near an airport increases your risk of hypertension. Traffic noise from roads, airports and railways is a major environmental problem and is increasingly recognised as a serious threat to public health by the ...
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EU draft law to cut traffic noise written by Porsche
The Environment Committee of the European Parliament will vote next week on noise limits for vehicles. The compromise proposal put forward by the lead MEP has been drafted by sports car manufacturer Porsche. The vote, scheduled for 19 September, will set noise limits from cars, vans, trucks and buses. A so called “compromise amendment”, normally designed to balance the divided views ...
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Vehicle noise deal protects industry rather than health of citizens
The lives of millions of Europeans will be blighted by an increase in road traffic noise for years to come as a weakened vehicle noise deal was approved by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee today. The Committee voted to accept a deal agreed earlier this month by Member States, the Parliament and the Commission. The law now needs to be rubber-stamped by Member States and the ...
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Traffic noise health impacts second only to air pollution, new WHO report says
Traffic noise is the second biggest environmental problem affecting our health in Europe, after air pollution, according to a report published today by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Environmental Protection UK (EPUK) hope the report will ensure policy makers take traffic noise seriously and act now to reduce it. According to the WHO study (1), 1.8% of heart attacks in high income European ...
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Proactive noise protection saves money and trouble - Traffic noise remains serious environmental problem
Dessau-Roßlau, 26 April 2011. Road traffic remains the greatest source of noise, according to the latest noise survey by the Federal Environment Agency, which polled 70,000 participants. The survey says that road traffic noise and aviation noise are the most annoying. "Efforts to protect the public from traffic noise are not yet adequate in Germany. There are still too many people who ...
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EPUK welcomes local environmental quality and public health link in draft health white paper
EPUK supports the explicit recognition made in the draft Health White Paper that the quality of our local environment plays a fundamental role in health and well being. Environmental health professionals have long played a crucial role in the protection of public health. We believe that by bringing public health back into the remit of local government with a more formalised role and dedicated ...
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Traffic noise health impacts second only to air pollution, new WHO report says
In the EU and Norway, traffic noise is the second biggest environmental problem affecting health after air pollution, says a report published today by the World Health Organization (WHO) (1). This new health evidence highlights the urgency of adopting more stringent EU vehicle noise standards, according to health, environment and sustainable transport campaigners. The European Commission is ...
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Children are more hyperactive if they live near busy roads
Children living close to busy roads may have an increased risk of hyperactivity. They may also have more emotional problems, especially if they are exposed to higher levels of noise during the night, according to research carried out on children’s health in Germany. Research on the negative health effects of noise on children has mainly focused on aircraft noise at school, but less is ...
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Traffic noise to become quieter thanks to UN-backed advance
Road traffic should get quieter in the near future, thanks to a new procedure for measuring noise in vehicles, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The new test, known as the Additional Sound Emissions Provisions (ASEP), is currently under development by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, which is managed by the UNECE. “ASEP is a ...
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Preserving quiet areas improves health
Living in a quiet area has a positive impact on health. A study compared quality of life for people living in quiet and noisy locations and found that those who lived in quiet locations—particularly in rural areas—had a better quality of life. The EU’s Noise Directive1 exists to protect people from the adverse impacts of noise and preserve the health benefits of quiet spaces. ...
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Free Tyre Procurement Guidance
Environmental Protection UK has produced some free tyre procurement guidance for fleet managers as part of the Campaign for Better Tyres. The guidance is free and can be downloaded using the links below: Download Car & Van Fleet Guidance Download Truck & Bus Fleet Guidance The Campaign for Better Tyres website www.bettertyres.org.uk also has information on tyre procurement and the ...
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Choose better tyres to cut carbon for climate week
With Climate Week nearly upon us, people around the UK are looking to cut their carbon. But how many people will consider the environmental impact of their tyres? Tyres play a big role in vehicle energy efficiency, noise and safety and there are now tyres on the market which can cut fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) by as much as 10%. They can also reduce a vehicle's rolling ...
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MEPs back law to curb harmful traffic noise
Noise limits for cars will be tightened to protect public health, under new rules informally agreed with EU ministers and endorsed by Parliament on Wednesday. The new law requires the introduction of labels to inform buyers of the noise levels of new cars, as well as the addition of sound to hybrid and electric vehicles to alert pedestrians. Persistent exposure to high levels of traffic noise ...
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New technology offers low cost noise monitoring
Networks of wireless sensors could be used to monitor traffic noise. A new study shows that the wifi sensor systems, although slightly less accurate than precision noise monitoring systems, can provide detailed information, with dense coverage, about traffic noise over a longer period. Their low cost and low energy requirements make them particularly suitable and attractive for use by local ...
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What makes railway noise annoying? Research investigates
A new study into the impact of railway noise has revealed that it is not just the level of noise that contributes to annoyance for local residents, but also the number of trains and the vibrations they cause. As railway transport is likely to increase in coming years, plans are needed to reduce these effects. A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that one in three ...
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Road traffic noise increases risk of heart attack
Noise is a serious and growing environmental problem worldwide. New research reveals that exposure to high levels of road traffic noise increases the risk of heart attacks. These findings add to concerns about the impact of noise on health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that around 40 per cent of the European population is exposed to noise from road traffic exceeding 55 decibels ...
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