CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 2. Aspects of noise 2 2.1Describing sound 2 Noise measurement units 2 Forecasting noise levels 4 2.2Characterising noise levels 4 3. Sources of road noise 5 Vehicle noise 5 Road friction noise 5 Driver behaviour 5 Construction and maintenance 5 4. The nature and scale of impacts 5 4.1 Health effects of noise 5 Introduction 5 Effects of noise on human hearing 5 4.2Societal economic costs of noise pollution 6 Introduction 6 Effect of noise on human activity 7 4.3 Factors contributing to noise impacts 8 Vehicular factors 8 Road surfaces 8 Road geometry 9 Environmental factors 9 Spatial relationships 9 Traffic stream 9 5. Remedial measures 11 1. Noise level standards 11 2. Motor vehicle control 12 3. Land use control 12 4. Traffic management 12 5. Surface design and maintenance 13 6. Road geometry and design 13 6. Lessons learned from noise abatement planning in Europe 15 Action planning 15 Typical actions 15 Additional strategies adopted by various German cities 16 7. Conclusion 17 8. References and resources 17