3.	Traffic noise
3.1 Road and railway noise

Motorized individual traffic has constantly increased during the last decades (see fig. 3/1). The vehicle figures as of 2008 cannot be compared with the previous years, however, because of a statistical changeover. Nevertheless, figure 3/1 reveals the trend towards a further increase.

But it is not only the number of vehicles which is relevant for the degree of ecological damage but also the average amount of kilometres travelled. And this tends to increase constantly despite of cyclical drops like in 2008 (calculations: DIW Berlin, data sources: Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) and Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt)).

Heavy traffic causes considerable pollution through traffic noise for the citizens. Especially along motorways and national and federal state through roads as well as in towns and cities, noise levels are high. In Germany, more than 10 million people are continuously exposed to a sound level higher than 65 dB(A) during the day – a level as from which the risk for cardiovascular diseases rises significantly. This is also shown by the results of a representative survey carried out by the Federal Environment Agency in 2010, stating that more than half of the population (55 %) feels disturbed by road traffic noise, 11 % of those to a high or even utmost degree.

As for rail traffic, noise pollution can be particularly high along cargo train routes. 22 % of the population complains about railway noise.

The German government intends to significantly increase the number of electrically powered traction units on the one hand and of improved braking systems for freight wagons on the other, with expected positive effects on traffic noise. But this development will be a slow one and therefore cannot be considered in current noise prognoses.