FACTORS AFFECTING RESPONSE TO ROAD NOISE

Investigation of the factors affecting individual response to noise provides an improved basis for the selection and implementation of noise impact reduction policies. This investigation is necessary because the cause and effect relationship between the level of noise exposure and noise response is confounded by personal and situational variables. Examination of the effects of these variables on response to road traffic noise with the use of data collected at residential sites in southern Ontario suggests the following points for residential planning decisions. Arguments for taking no action to reduce noise impact are not supported. The sex, age, and socioeconomic compositions of residential areas are not important considerations for implementing measures to reduce noise impact. Life-style characteristics of residents on the other hand do affect response to noise. Methods to reduce noise must be effective indoors and outdoors to have a significant effect on attitudes: air conditioning alone is inadequate. Noise barriers appear to be more effective for improving attitudes than their noise reduction properties would suggest. /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Pion Limited

  207 Brondesburg Park
  London NW2 5JN,   England 
• Authors:
  • Taylor, S M
  • Hall, F L
• Publication Date: 1977

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 585-597
• Serial:
  • Environment and Planning
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Pion Limited

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Data collection; Finishes; Impacts; Noise barriers; Noise control; Residential areas; Socioeconomic factors; Sociology; Sound; Sound level; Tolerance (Physiology); Traffic; Traffic noise
• Uncontrolled Terms: Decreases
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Old TRIS Terms: Polishes
• ITRD Terms: 8018: Canada; 9009: Decrease; 2051: Human tolerance; 2886: Noise barrier; 307: Residential area; 2253: Sociology; 6748: Sound; 6747: Sound level; 354: Town planning; 755: Traffic
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163861
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Analytic
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1977 12:00AM