Traffic noise

Traffic noise is the main source of noise annoyance and is harmful to health. Almost one in three homes, approximately 785,000 homes, suffers from road noise above the recommended noise limit value. More information can be found in the Government Road Noise Strategy.

National Road Noise Strategy
The road noise strategy incorporates a number of Government initiatives intended to reinforce the road authorities' efforts to reduce noise from roads. The strategy addresses the annoyance and health effects of noise. Calculations have been made of the effectiveness and costs of measures to combat noise.

Health effects of traffic noise
Traffic is the main source of noise impact in Denmark. According to the WHO, traffic noise may lead to sleep problems, tiredness, headaches, high blood pressure, hormonal effects, stress and increased risk of heart disease. Indications also show that children exposed to constant environmental noise are at risk of developing learning difficulties.

Noise partnerships with authorities and affected citizens
In 2005, the Danish Ministry of the Environment set aside funds for testing "financial noise partnerships". These are joint projects in which noise mitigation is jointly financed by authorities and the general public. The partnerships are also an opportunity for the public to be directly involved in determining which measures should be taken.

Nord2000: Nordic noise prediction method
In Denmark, the joint Nordic noise prediction method (Nord2000) is mandatory for calculation of noise from road and rail traffic, and it has been used to form the simplified mandatory methods for wind turbine noise. It also includes source models for road and rail traffic noise and an advanced sound propagation model.

Railway noise
Approx. 17,000 Danish homes are severely affected by noise from railways. Some of these have benefited from protective anti-noise barriers, since Rail Net Denmark and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency in 1986 initiated a Noise Project to cut down noise from Denmark's railways.