Overview
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ABSTRACT
Road traffic noise is the predominant source of noise in Europe, exposing the largest number of people to excessive levels night and day. Regulations governing noise emitted by vehicles were for a long time the only regulatory tool. They were later extended independently by regulations enabling a more comprehensive approach to the environmental management of road noise. This article deals with regulatory and normative tools concerning road vehicle noise. It considers methods and solutions currently used or under development. All the sources contributing to road traffic noise are also described to highlight the difficulty and the need to take a comprehensive approach to reducing noise pollution.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Louis-Ferdinand PARDO: Technical expert in acoustics - UTAC, Montlhéry, France
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Fabienne ANFOSSO LÉDÉE: Acoustics Research Director - IFSTTAR, Nantes, France
INTRODUCTION
Road noise is a proven environmental nuisance. It affects people's health, is a source of annoyance and social inequality, and costs society dearly. Road traffic is the most widespread source of noise in Europe, and the one that exposes the greatest number of people to excessive daytime and night-time noise levels. This is true throughout Europe and France, and concerns both urban and rural areas. As a result, French and European public authorities have been working for several years to regulate the various components of road noise.
Regulations on vehicle noise go back a long way, and have long been the only means of limiting road noise emissions: the first European legislative text dealing with noise from road vehicles dates back to 1970, and concerned the exterior noise level of motor vehicles with at least four wheels. Since then, this text has undergone a number of changes, notably in terms of authorized limit levels, and the regulations have been extended to tractors and two- and three-wheel vehicles, as well as to equipment that could potentially cause noise pollution, such as horns, replacement exhaust systems or alarms.
In parallel with this work on vehicle noise emissions, more recent and independent global regulations on environmental noise management, including road noise, have emerged. These are complemented by standardized calculation and measurement methods for the various components of road noise.
This article provides an overview of regulatory methods for measuring vehicle noise levels, and the impact of these regulations on the annoyance they cause. It begins with an overview of the regulatory context for road noise and vehicle noise, followed by details of the various components of road noise and how they are modeled. The article goes on to describe the methods used for vehicle noise certification, and the various indicators used. The fifth section analyzes the various levers for action on vehicles and road traffic as a whole to reduce noise. This analysis finally puts into perspective the difficulty and necessity of achieving a global approach to noise reduction.
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KEYWORDS
state of the art | Exterior noise | environment | | Acoustics | Road vehicles
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Vehicle and traffic noise
Bibliography
Websites
National rolling noise database (CEREMA DTer EST, Strasbourg regional laboratory): http://213.215.52.146/BDBruitDeRoulement
Events
Standards and norms
- Acoustics – Environmental noise – Calculating sound levels - NF S 31-133 - 2011
- Spécification des méthodes d'essais pour le mesurage du bruit émis par les véhicules routiers - ISO 10844 - 2014
- Guide pour l'expression de l'incertitude de mesure (GUM) - NF ENV 13005 - 1999
- Parts 1 to 6 – Accuracy (trueness and precision) of results and measurement methods - ISO 5725 - 1994
- Electroacoustics...
Regulations
Directive 2015/996/EC establishing common methods for noise assessment in accordance with Directive 2002/49/EC.
Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise (transposed in France by Order 2004-1199 of November 12, 2004).
Law no. 92-1444 of December 31, 1992 on noise abatement, codified in articles L. 571-1 to L. 571-25 of the Environment Code....
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The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference