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Transport Noise: World Health Organisation Support Quieter Nights | 14 Oct 2009

Environmental Protection UK¹ welcome long awaited new guidelines on noise levels at night, published this month by the World Health Organisation (WHO)². These recommend an annual average night noise exposure not exceeding 40 decibels (dB) – equivalent to a quiet residential street. WHO say that while levels above this can cause sleep disturbance and insomnia, prolonged exposure to noise above 55dB at night can trigger raised blood pressure and even heart attacks.

One in five Europeans are exposed to this level. This supports the findings of work published last year reporting up to 108 heart attacks and nearly 500 cases of heart disease in Greater London could be caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of road traffic noise³.

In the UK, Government are working towards complying with the Environmental Noise Directive, which is aimed at "preventing or reducing noise exposure and preserving environmental noise quality where it is currently good." ⁴ Measures available to reduce transport noise include smoother traffic flows, reduced speeds, traffic management, sound insulation and the use of quieter tyres and quieter road surfaces and noise barriers and are outlined in 'Managing Transport Noise in Cities'.⁵

In England, Defra are currently consulting on noise action planning guidance for managing traffic noise in our worst affected cities and protecting quiet open spaces in these cities⁶. Our eighteen busiest airports are also consulting on managing noise.

"We are all affected by environmental noise, and as users of mechanised transport we are all noise makers." said Mary Stevens, Policy Officer "Our noise climate must be managed effectively for the protection of our health and to provide equality in access to liveable local environments. This can be achieved through partnerships at national, regional and local level. Co-ordination between planning and transport managers as well as health specialists is required. We also believe there is a need in the UK for an independent advisory body on noise to support the development of sound policy and practice for noise mitigation.' ⁷

Notes to Editors

More: Mary Stevens, Policy Officer tel: 01273 878781/07730 061850

1. Environmental Protection UK www.environmental-protection.org.uk, is the environmental protection charity supported by pollution control professionals. We have been working for a cleaner, quieter, healthier world since 1898.
2. Night Time Noise Guidelines for Europe – WHO Regional Office for Europe 2009. WHO press release.
3. The Effect of Noise on Physical Health Risk in London – Bernard F Berry "The estimated number of people in the GLA potentially affected by Acute Myocardial Infarction AMI as a result of exposure to Road Traffic Noise is 108, or about 1.8% of the total number of cases of AMI [5991 in London 2001].For Ischaemic Heart Disease IHD, the estimated number of people in the GLA area potentially affected as a result of exposure to Road Traffic Noise would be 499."
4. Under the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (END) member states are mandated to produce strategic noise maps strategic to inform noise action planning - noise action planning should set out a procedure designed to manage the effects of noise from transport, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic and from sites of industrial activity and to reduce it if necessary, which will avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects of exposure on people.
5. Managing Transport Noise in Cities – Environmental Protection UK leaflet.
6. Find out more about Defra noise action planning.
7. See our response to draft Health Protection Agency Report on Environmental Noise in the UK.