Digital signs tell drivers in Amsterdam when their vehicle is too loud

Amsterdam is piloting digital signs to combat noise pollution from road vehicles.

The technology is based on a similar concept to digital speed displays that tell drivers when they are going too fast, but with a focus on noise. The digital signage trial is also running in Rotterdam.

“This is a first for the Netherlands,” a statement from the City of Amsterdam said.

When a vehicle passing by the sound meter makes noise above 83 decibels, the driver will see the message ‘Too loud’ displayed on a linked digital sign. The trial this summer aims to raise awareness and change behaviour but no fines will be handed out in Amsterdam.

In Rotterdam, microphones are also being used at two locations to collect data and motorists will be warned via the signs that breaching noise levels can carry a fine of €280 (US$305).

Health impacts

Research by Amsterdam’s Public Health Service found that motorcycles are the biggest source of noise pollution in the city, with 19 percent of adult residents exposed to serious noise pollution from motorbikes. Noises from mopeds and other vehicles, including loud music, also cause nuisance.

Previous studies by TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, revealed that extreme noise from vehicles is mainly caused by incorrect driver behaviour such as accelerating too fast or adjustments to vehicles, including illegal exhaust modifications.

“It’s not just about nuisance,” a statement from the city said. “Prolonged exposure to noise can also have an effect on health. That is why the municipality wants to limit this nuisance as much as possible.”

A UN Environment Programme report last year declared urban noise pollution one of the world’s top emerging environmental threats.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified traffic noise – including road, rail and air – as the second most significant cause of ill health in Western Europe, behind only air pollution.

Researchers have found that high noise levels can contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Noise strategy

The trial in Amsterdam is underway at the Stadhouderskade and on Molenaarsweg and locations at Europaboulevard and Tussen Meer will be added at the end of August. It will also run at four locations in Rotterdam.

The digital signs are part of a broader approach to reduce vehicle noise in the cities.

Amsterdam says it is working on additional measures in collaboration with other large municipalities, including a simpler method of enforcement, a feasibility study into the potential application of noise cameras, and the use of targeted communications.

Noise cameras incorporate microphones and work in a similar way to speed cameras.

Addressing noise pollution is a growing area of focus for cities, with initiatives in Paris, London and elsewhere.