| Popis: |
This study has been sponsored by the Ministere de l'Equipement and Ministere de l'Environnement and conducted by INRETS to assess the impact of road traffic noise in suburban areas during evening and night time periods. The 18 study sites include both houses and blocks of flats within 300 meters of three types of roads (local streets, major roads, urban expressways). Professional survey interviewers approached about 1,200 dwellings between September 1993 and June 1994 to conduct face-to-face interviews with 990 adult residents (age 18-70) who were selected on age- and gender-based quotas. The locations of the sleeping and living rooms were noted on floor plans. Noise levels for 22 time periods were estimated at two-meters before house facades for living and sleeping rooms based on the measurements before the front facade for 36 hours (two nights and one day), the most recent yearly traffic counts, and computer prediction programs (Microbruit or Mithra). The final summarizing response questions asked: "How annoyed are you by the road traffic noise, when you are at home during ..(a) the day..(b) the night...: not at all, a little, moderately, or very annoyed." The percentages very annoyed during the day at the corresponding values of LAeq16Hr (06:00 to 22:00 hours) estimated at the living room facade are: 22% at 59 dB, 39% at 63 dB, and 74% at 67 dB. The corresponding percentages for the night at LAeq8Hr (22:00 to 06:00 hours) estimated at the bedroom facade are: 24% at 51 dB, 28% at 53 dB, 54% at 59 dB and 79% at 63 dB. Age, gender, level of education and home ownership have no statistically significant effect on the noise annoyance of residents at the same noise level. At the same noise level, annoyance is greater in flats where all windows have a direct view of the main road than in those where several windows do not have a direct view. At sites with noise barriers, the annoyance is slightly lower, but not statistically significantly lower, than at sites without barriers at the same noise level. |
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