PERCEIVED ANNOYANCE FROM ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE

In a questionnaire survey on road traffic noise 6151 questionnaires were sent out. 55 % were returned. The results show that traffic noise is not only a concern inside peoples homes. Noise outdoors is also a source of annoyance. A clear relationship is found between noise levels and stated degrees of annoyance, and dose-response relationships have been drawn. Annoyance is found to be most common during the morning and the afternoon. No relationship is found between degree of annoyance and how long people had lived in the present dwelling, but when asked to give 3 reasons for planning to move, noise is the second most common. Most of the annoyed persons have not done anything to mitigate the noise and only 15 percent are willing to pay for a significant noise reduction. It is a common opinion that it is a duty for the public authorities. For the covering abstract see ITRD E107776.