Quote:
Originally Posted by seven
Maps showing the level of noise from industries, airports, road and rail networks in are being published today. How does noise affect your life?
Noise maps of 23 urban areas in England found that Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the noisiest urban area in the country, with residents facing severe hearing and health problems. The city topped a traffic noise table with 80.4 decibels - roughly equivalent of a loud alarm clock ringing constantly.
Tranquil Torquay, however, on the south coast, emerged as the quietest at just 60 decibels.
Report author Professor Deepak Prasher said noise is not only annoying, but can raise stress levels and threaten health and well-being.
What is your city like? What other urban noises drive you mad?
Defra, Noise Mapping England |
I'd just like to point out that while it shows where the main sources of noise are for different sectors, that's about as far as it goes.
If you enter industrial sources, and put in a post code, it will show where the industrial noises are. But it also shows some fancy shapes to indicate where the most noise travels to from those sources. This is a nonesense.
Other than the obvious point of wind direction (environemental noise surveys must be carried out with little or no wind), the shapes bare no resemblence to reality, as our site is does not corresond to the noise levels indicated and the directions of the highest levels are wrong, as I did an environmental noise survey some years ago here. The map is just a guess as to what it does, and has not been subject to any real montioring or detailed analysis despite the implication of the maps.
Its a perfect example of where one must be careful of implied accuracy.