Road traffic noise exposure in Europe in 2012 based on END data

Based on the Environmental Noise Directive (END) noise mapping, figures on road traffic noise exposure should encourage the European national road authorities to describe noise measures in their END action plans. The END figures also provide a basis for developing Community measures to reduce noise emitted by the major sources like vehicles and tyres. END noise mapping in 2007 and 2012 provided a lot of information. These END data is used to estimate road traffic noise exposure in the EU-30 countries in 2012. However, the END data is far from complete. Workarounds were necessary to fill the gaps and to improve the quality of the estimations. The outcome of the END data quality assessment gives figures on (major) road traffic noise exposure and annoyance in Europe in 2012. In the first place, for the national road authorities cooperating in the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR), these figures are useful in optimizing the practical application of noise reducing pavements and noise barriers in terms of costs and benefits. Secondly, for the European Commission and the European Parliament, these figures show the reduction potential on noise exposure and noise annoyance of silent vehicles and silent tyres.