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The dangers of the United Nations’ Geneva office taking over responsibility for regulating vehicle noise have been thrown into sharp focus, after a draft for a legally binding standard designed to cut noise from cars allowed for traffic noise to get much louder. Read more...

Issues

Why is noise a problem?
Close to half of all Europeans are regularly exposed to traffic noise levels that are potentially dangerous to health. Despite this, EU legislation has failed to tackle the problem for more than thirty years.

• T&E background minisite: Transport noise
• T&E report: Can you hear us?
• T&E report press release: 50,000 heart deaths a year caused by traffic noise

Tyre standards and labels
In early 2009, the EU agreed legislation to improve the noise performance of tyres sold in Europe. In November 2009 a tyre label, to show fuel efficiency, safety and noise performance was also agreed.

• T&E Bulletin: Tyre standards agreed
• T&E briefing: tyre standards
• T&E position paper: tyre standards
• Press release: Effectiveness of tyre label scheme will depend on retailers
• T&E briefing: tyre labels
• T&E position paper: tyre labels

Vehicle noise regulation at the UNECE
The UN's Economic Commission for Europe has said it is delaying any decision on new vehicle noise standards for six months. The delay follows intervention by T&E to expose the draft new standard and the fact that it had been written by a representative of Porsche.

• T&E Press Release: UN noise regulations written by Porsche will lead to louder cars
• T&E report: How the motor industry hijacked regulation of vehicle noise

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