More noise, less stench

Although modern cars are quieter and cleaner, more and more people are reporting car noise as a problem. In 1997 just over one quarter of the Dutch population said they had been bothered by car noise at some time. In 2002 this had risen to one in three people.

Noise nuisance by source, 2002

Noisy neighbours

Other sources of noise are less of a problem. About one in five people complain of being disturbed by noise from aircraft and another one in five are troubled by noisy neighbours. Seven percent of the population are annoyed by noise from trains and trams, four percent by noise from businesses in the neighbourhood. These figures were about the same in 1997.

Stench by source, 2002

Less stench

Nuisance from stench has decreased. In 2002 10 percent of the population complained of stench from manure. In 1997 this was 14 percent of the population. Seven percent of people are bothered by care fumes. Stench from businesses and open fireplaces bothered fewer people in 2002 than in 1997.

Noise nuisance by source and degree of urbanisation, 2002

More noise nuisance in big cities

Noise and stench are mostly big-city problems. More than half of the inhabitants of extremely urbanised areas are bothered by noise from traffic and industry, and one quarter complain of noisy neighbours.

Fifteen percent of inhabitants of big cities report stench from traffic, compared with 2 percent of people in the countryside. Stench from factories, open fireplaces and multi-burners is also more often reported by city dwellers than by people in rural areas.

Twenty-two percent of people in the countryside on the other hand complain of stench from manure.

Stench nuisance by source and degree of urbanisation, 2002

Henk Swinkels