Traffic noise: the vehicle regulations and their enforcement / report by a working group of the Council.

  • Great Britain. Noise Advisory Council
Date:
1972
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Traffic noise: the vehicle regulations and their enforcement / report by a working group of the Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    INTRODUCTION 1. The 1970 vehicle census showed that there were over fourteen million motor vehicles on the roads of Great Britain. The number is growing rapidly —faster indeed than the population. By 1980 we are likely to have one vehicle for every three people. It has been estimated that already at least a fifth (and possibly more than two fifths) of the urban population are exposed in their homes to undesirable levels of traffic noise; and if nothing is done half as many people again are likely to be so exposed by 1980. Traffic noise is thus by far the most widespread source of noise nuisance and the most urgent target for abatement action. 2. Although traffic noise is fortunately not at a level which one could expect to cause physiological harm, it can be to the highest degree un- pleasant and can affect almost every aspect of everyday life; in particular activities that depend on hearing—notably conversation—and sleep. These effects have not been measured precisely, but their seriousness is indicated by the strength of public resistance to traffic or road proposals which it is feared would increase noise in particular places. 3. An initial review of the traffic noise problem led the Noise Advisory Council to conclude that the best prospect for immediate relief lay in the more effective enforcement of the existing vehicle noise regulations. We were therefore appointed by the Council in May 1971 to:— “discuss with officials the formulation and evaluation of possible courses of action to improve procedures for the enforcement of vehicle noise regulations (with particular reference to a scheme for directing owners of vehicles considered to be noisy to present their vehicles to a testing station); and to report to the Council.” 4. In preparing our report we have been greatly assisted by officers of the Department of the Environment (who have carried out certain special studies at our request) and of the Home Office and by Mr. J. A. H. Gott, Chief Constable of the Northampton and County Constabulary. We are also grateful to the Noise Abatement Society for supplying us with details of their views and proposals on the problem we have been studying; to the British Standards Institution for providing the report reproduced at Annex E; and to our Joint Secretaries for their work on the drafting of the report.
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