Press Release

[Index]

UNECE announces breakthrough in traffic noise reduction

Geneva, 8 September 2009 --

A new test procedure for measuring noise levels in vehicles will make road traffic quieter in the near future.

The Additional Sound Emissions Provisions (ASEP), currently under development by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) managed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), will complement regular noise tests and lead to serious strengthening of noise provisions.

“The ASEP is a completely new way of measuring noise levels and it will provide a more accurate measurement because cars will be regulated in a broader engine speed range. The ultimate goal of ASEP is to prevent tweaking of test results”, said Christian Theis, representative of the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and Chairman of the Working Party on Noise (GRB), a subsidiary body of the World Forum developing noise regulations. The GRB is expected to adopt ASEP in early 2010.

Growing noise levels in urban areas have been the source of mounting concern in recent years as noise pollution can have serious adverse effects on human health and the environment.

In 1982 the GRB established Regulation No. 51 which set the sound limit levels for passenger cars to 80 decibels. In 1996 this limit was reduced to 74 decibels. Furthermore, a regulation on reducing the rolling sound of tyres was adopted in 2005.

But reducing noise is more than just making silent engines and tyres. It is also about “silent pavements”, or, how innovative infrastructure can help improve traffic conditions. New techniques mean road surfaces can help reduce the total sound output by up to 10 decibels.

Adding to the complexity of the situation is the advent of electric and hybrid vehicles:  they are in fact really silent, as the only sound they emit is tyre rolling noise. This represents a risk to those who rely on the sound of a vehicle to warn them of its approach, such as visually impaired pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. The World Forum is also working to address this issue, balancing out new technology with varying needs in society.

Note to editors

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), established in 1952, is the global regulatory body which works for safer and more environmentally friendly vehicles. It has developed more than 135 vehicle regulations applied worldwide.

At present, a total of 53 Contracting Parties acceded to the 1958 and/or the 1998 Agreement administered by the World Forum WP.29: Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain, Serbia and Montenegro, United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Greece, Ireland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belarus, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Latvia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Turkey, Azerbaijan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, European Community, Japan, Australia, Ukraine, South Africa, New Zealand, Cyprus, Malta, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Montenegro, Tunisia, as well as the United States of America, Canada, P.R. China, India and Moldova.

Decisions at the World Forum level are made by countries that are Contracting Parties to one of the UN Agreements on construction of vehicles administered by the World Forum.  Manufacturers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and consumer associations have a consultative status. 

Other countries (Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the Community of the Arab Gulf Countries, the Southern African Developing Community (SADC), the South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), etc.) are either in the process of acceding to the UN 1958 and 1998 Agreements or have shown interest in acceding to them.  Some of them participate, as observers, in the World Forum.

The following international organizations participate on a regular basis in WP.29's activities as observers: Council of the European Union, European Commission/European Community (EC), European Free Trade Association (EFTA), International Energy Agency (IEA), International Transport Forum (ITF), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

More than 40 non-governmental organizations (NGO) participate on a regular basis in the   activities of the World Forum and its subsidiary bodies with consultative status:

American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Association for Emissions Control by Catalyst (AECC/CEFIC), Association of European Wheel Manufacturers (EUWA), Bureau international permanent des associations de vendeurs et rechapeurs de pneu (BIPAVER), Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE), Consumers International (CI), Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), European Association of Automobile Suppliers (CLEPA), European Association of Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturers (EUROMOT), European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), European Committee of Associations of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery (CEMA), European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee (EEVC), European Federation for Transport and Environment, European Garage Equipment Association (EGEA), European Insurance Committee (CEA), European Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (AEGPL), European Natural Gas Vehicle Association (ENGVA), European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO), Federation of European Manufacturers of Friction Materials (FEMFM), Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA), the Foundation for the Automobile and Society (FIA Foundation), International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV), International Confederation of Associations of Experts and Consultants (CIDADEC), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA), International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), International Road Federation (IRF), International Road Transport Union (IRU), International Union of Public Transport (UITP), Liaison Committee of the Body and Trailer Building Industry (CLCCR), Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Natural Gas Vehicles Association Europe ‑ (NGVA Europe), Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Standardization Organization for Gulf Cooperation Council (GSO), Technical Committee of Petroleum Additive Manufacturers in Europe (ATC/CEFIC), The Oil Companies European Organization for Environment, Health and Safety (CONCAWE), Union of Technical Assistance for Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (UNATAC), Working Party "Brussels 1952" (GTB), World Economic Forum (WEF), World Road Association (PIARC).

Ref: ECE/TRANS/09/P09