The European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that around 113 million people are affected by noisy road traffic. In its report, Environmental Noise in Europe 2020, the agency drew attention to the fact that despite noise-reducing regulations, more and more people are exposed to overly noisy traffic due to urban growth.
The number of people exposed to high levels of noise did not change between 2012 and 2017, and noise pollution in Europe will not fall to the level recommended by the World Health Organization by 2020 either.
The main source of noise in Europe is road traffic, followed by rail noise, followed by air traffic and industrial noise. The noise from rail transport affects 22 million people and air transport from four million, the Copenhagen-based office said.
Noise pollution can cause many diseases and can also play a role in the development of heart disease and premature death. Environmental noise causes 12,000 premature deaths a year in the European area, according to the agency.
Other harmful effects of noise pollution include sleep disturbance, which affects more than six million people. In addition, the noisy environment also affects children’s school performance: they have been shown to have poorer reading skills as a result.
In order to reduce the noise level, the EEA recommended the renovation of obsolete roads, a smoother organization of traffic for cities, and suggested that the speed limit in built-up areas should be reduced to 30 kilometers per hour. Support for cycling and walking, as well as electric transport, can also help to reduce noise.
(Source: vezess.hu / photo: pixabay.com)
