Report

Traffic noise reduction in Europe

At the request of T&E, the European federation for Transport and Environ-ment, CE Delft has investigated:

  • the health effects of traffic noise; 
  • the financial value of these health effects; 
  • measures to reduce road and rail noise.

The results show that traffic noise increases the risk of health problems. Each year, over 245,000 Europeans could be afflicted with cardiovascular disease as a result of traffic noise. Around 20% of these run the risk of premature death due to a heart attack. A price tag can be put on the nuisance caused by this noise and the health effects to which it gives rise: in the EU the social costs associated with traffic noise are estimated to be around € 40 billion a year. It is relatively straightforward to reduce traffic noise, by implementing the latest technical advances in car and tyre production and road construction.

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