Impact of road noise components (rolling/propulsion) by vehicle categories (light-duty, heavy-duty and two-wheeled vehicles) on population's noise exposure and associated adverse health effects

Exposure to road traffic noise can lead to various adverse health effects, ranging from annoyance and night-time sleep disturbances to ischemic heart diseases. The aim of this paper is to identify the contribution of the road noise components (rolling/propulsion) for each vehicle category (light-duty, heavy-duty and two-wheeled vehicles) on population's noise exposure and the associated adverse health effects. This analysis focuses on the case study of Lyon, France. The input data align with the requirements of the 4th deadline of Directive 2002/49/CE and adhere to the CNOSSOS calculation standard. The results reveal that the rolling noise component of light-duty vehicles is predominant due to vehicle speed and traffic volume. It is the sole noise component (i) significantly exposing a portion of the population to Lden > 68 dBA, noise limit set by the French decree of April 4, 2006, and (ii) where over half of the population is exposed to Lden > 53 dBA, recommended threshold by the World Health Organization (2018). By using transfer functions established between noise components for each vehicle category, and population's noise exposure, noise source-abatement solutions can be quantified in terms of their impact on population's noise exposure, thus determining the reduction in health impacts.