Measures against traffic noise are being demanded by the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Representatives from these states are calling for stricter laws and tougher action to protect people from traffic noise. According to Elke Zimmer, State Secretary for Transport in Baden-Württemberg, the current noise protection law is not effective in adequately protecting the population from traffic noise. The road traffic law hurdles are also too high for implementing quick measures such as a 30 km/h speed limit.
The Federal Environment Agency has calculated that approximately 8.5 million people in Germany are exposed to harmful noise pollution on main roads alone. Another 6.4 million people suffer from noisy rail traffic, and 850,000 people are affected by air traffic noise. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that environmental noise, particularly traffic noise in Western Europe, leads to the loss of more than a million years of healthy life each year due to disability or premature mortality.
Viktor Haase, Secretary of State for Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia, has called for more commitment to existing traffic routes instead of relying on voluntary noise abatement services. Research has shown that the current legal regulations for noise protection are inadequate. Despite the health-critical noise problems, there is no legal entitlement to noise protection measures on roads or train routes. The four federal states are also advocating for a lowering of hurdles for speed limits.
The German Environmental Aid and other associations are also demanding a 30 km/h speed limit in urban areas, as well as the use of noise cameras and a ban on retrofit silencers for motorcycles that dampen noise less than the original.
The lack of binding threshold values that prioritize the protection of people’s health is another concern highlighted by the federal states. It is suggested that having firm threshold values of 65 decibels during the day and 55 decibels at night would already reduce the risk. The Federal Environment Agency states that 2.3 million people in Germany are exposed to levels of more than 65 dB(A) throughout the day, and 2.6 million people suffer from levels of more than 55 dB(A) at night.
For comparison, a study shows that about every third motorcycle is louder than 90 decibels when passing by, which is as loud as a jackhammer or a circular saw. In contrast, only 13 percent of motorcycles are quieter than 80 decibels. The joint statement by the four federal states emphasizes the need to close these gaps in noise protection regulations for the well-being of the affected citizens.
