ROAD TRAFFIC NUISANCE IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS

Air pollution from traffic is one of the main factors considered in th e environmental appraisal of road schemes. Currently this appraisal co ncentrates on the emission and roadside concentration of those regulat ed pollutants which are potentially harmful to the health or well-bein g of human, animal or plant life, or to ecological systems. However, v ehicle emissions, especially those from diesel vehicles, may also caus e a number of aesthetic and nuisance problems, such as visibility redu ction, urban soiling and physical irritation. A methodology to investi gate the subjective nuisance effects of air pollution from road traffi c on the public has been developed and tested. The data indicates that vehicle-derived air pollution was an issue of high relative importanc e to the public when compared to other major social issues. On a local level, the physical presence of load traffic and its associated pollu tion appeared to be the largest contributors to outdoor public environ mental nuisance. Indoors, the public appeared to experience only minor disturbances from vehicle-derived pollution, with the average respond ent being not very bothered by vehicle-derived smoke, fumes and odour, dust and dirt and general air pollution. Noise appeared to cause the greatest indoor traffic-related nuisance, although many respondents co mplained about soiling from dust/dirt. The surveys suggest that outdoo r disturbance from vehicle-derived air pollution was fairly high, with smoke, fumes and odour causing the greatest annoyance. The main reaso n given for disturbance from outdoor smoke, fumes and odour and dust/d irt was concern that they would harm the public's health. Other import ant specific reasons included soiling and the smell of the fumes. The data also suggests that there can be significant differences in distur bance between sites in the same and different cities, between males an d females and between different age groups. No significant differences in annoyance were noted between smokers/non-smokers and different soc io-economic groupings. In addition, the level of nuisance experienced by people in urban areas did not depend upon the proximity of their ho me/workplace to a road.