Norwegian study says nearly 5,000 healthy life years lost to traffic noise

According to a survey conducted for the Climate and Pollution Agency (the former SFT), a directorate under the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, 4, 512 healthy years of life are lost each year in Norway due to traffic noise. The study, which claims to have quantified for the first time the relationship between traffic noise and health problems, also showed that 1.5 million people in the country are exposed to noise levels that exceed the recommended maximum level of 55Db. In such cases, residents can c
April 16, 2012 Read time: 1 min
RSSAccording to a survey conducted for the 4893 Climate and Pollution Agency (the former SFT), a directorate under the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, 4, 512 healthy years of life are lost each year in Norway due to traffic noise. The study, which claims to have quantified for the first time the relationship between traffic noise and health problems, also showed that 1.5 million people in the country are exposed to noise levels that exceed the recommended maximum level of 55Db. In such cases, residents can complain to the road operator. Although the agency acknowledges that the figures are alarming, it says that, having quantified how traffic noise degrades people’s lives and health, it will allow it to focus on specific measures to reduce traffic noise.

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