How does Germany control noise?

The German Environment Ministry estimates that traffic noise causes approximately 4,000 heart attacks annually in Germany. In recent years, Germany has revised and improved its laws and regulations concerning noise pollution, particularly its comprehensive legal framework, including the criminal offense of "noise pollution," and its relevant experiences are worth learning from.

Overview of German legislation on noise pollution control:

Starting in the mid-20th century, Germany began to strengthen its legislation on noise pollution control. It successively enacted the Building Noise Act (1965), the Noise Technical Guidelines (1968, revised in 1998), the Aviation Traffic Noise Act (1971), and the Federal Emissions Control Act (1974).

The Environmental Noise Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China was promulgated and implemented on March 1, 1997.

Currently, Germany does not have a specific law that applies to all types of noise regulation.

How does Germany deal with noise from children?

In 2011, Germany approved a new law protecting the right of children under six to make noise, stipulating that even if nearby residents are disturbed by children's noise, they cannot drive the children away. According to the new law, children under six have the right to play freely, and noise from kindergartens, sandpits, and children's playgrounds "generally does not cause environmental damage" and is not subject to industrial and commercial noise regulations. The new law categorizes children's noise as "natural noise" and believes it should be tolerated by society. Its purpose is to protect children's healthy development, reflecting a legislative orientation towards "child-friendly" and sustainable population development.

Main types and legal measures for noise pollution control in Germany:

Based on the EU Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC), Germany amended its Federal Emissions Control Act in June 2005, legislatively transforming and detailing strategic noise maps and noise action plans. According to this act, all major roads, railways, airports, and related residential areas must be mapped for noise levels, with different colors indicating noise levels; areas with noise exceeding 75 decibels are listed as the highest level and marked in dark red.

Currently, more than 1,000 towns and cities in Germany have created noise maps and noise action plans and adopted corresponding noise prevention and control measures. The government places the noise maps on the city's official website, and the public can find out the level of "noise pollution" simply by entering the local postal code.

Traffic noise prevention measures:

Since the 1970s, traffic noise pollution, including from automobiles, has gradually replaced industrial noise pollution as the leading source of noise pollution in Germany. Automobile and traffic noise mainly includes engine noise, road surface noise, tire noise, and wind noise. Therefore, Germany's Traffic Noise Protection Ordinance primarily applies to the construction of new roads and the expansion and reconstruction of existing roads. This includes measures such as planting trees to create sound barriers, designating pedestrian zones in cities, strictly regulating transportation vehicles, prohibiting honking in quiet traffic areas, using low-noise signs "L" or "G," and constructing noise-control walls to avoid or mitigate significant adverse effects and physical and mental harm.

The law mandates the development and use of quieter roads and more environmentally friendly transportation methods. Currently, Germany is modernizing its existing federal highways by laying "noise-absorbing concrete." The Federal Ministry for the Environment requires that noise levels for motor vehicles, electric two-wheelers, and tires reflect and adopt EU and international best practices (BAT) standards. All vehicles, especially large buses and transport trucks, must be equipped with engine compartment soundproofing devices to effectively isolate and reduce engine noise. Honking is strictly prohibited except in emergencies, and speed limits are strictly enforced in densely populated areas. The German Ministry for the Environment also includes vehicle noise monitoring in annual vehicle inspections, forcing automakers to improve vehicle noise design.

In cities, the focus used to be on ensuring smooth traffic flow, but now the priority is pedestrians, and state governments are increasingly emphasizing the construction of pedestrian streets and the control of noise pollution. For example, in Berlin, more than 100 streets have a speed limit of 30 km/h from 10 pm to 6 am the next day, and signs for 30-kilometer speed limit zones between the city's main thoroughfares are ubiquitous. Today, urban traffic noise is generally kept below 40 decibels.

Noise control measures in residential areas:

Germany's "Regulations on the Protection of Noise from Machinery" protects residential areas as traffic safety zones.

The regulations address noise control for machinery operation in residential areas and other protected areas, and establish incentive mechanisms for users of low-noise machinery. German law stipulates that nighttime noise levels in residential areas must not exceed 50 decibels. The government also implements time-based speed limits of 30 km/h on some main roads passing through densely populated areas between 10 PM and 6 AM to minimize the impact of traffic noise on residents. Currently, many roads in densely populated residential areas in German cities extensively use special noise-reducing materials, install sound barriers in high-traffic areas, and plant numerous trees along highways near residential areas and in areas with heavy traffic. Honking is strictly prohibited except in emergencies. The German government also provides subsidies and preferential policies for families affected by noise pollution to purchase and install noise reduction equipment.

Noise control measures for sports and leisure activities:

The Emissions Control Act and the Ordinance on Protection from Noise Pollution from Sports Facilities are the main legal bases for the prevention and control of noise pollution from sports facilities in Germany. In residential areas, the new German law stipulates that no noise may be made between 10 PM and 6 AM, between 12 PM and 2 PM, and on Sundays; all must be kept quiet. Loud talking, playing music, and holding parties are prohibited during these times to avoid disturbing neighbors' rest. If activities or renovations are absolutely necessary, neighbors' consent must be obtained; otherwise, those causing the disturbance can directly call the police or even file a lawsuit.

Repeat offenders of noise control laws can face fines of up to €250,000. In German urban planning, the most bustling city centers are generally designated as pedestrian zones, where people can sightsee, shop, and chat without being bothered by traffic noise and exhaust fumes. Many smaller central cities, such as Leipzig and Rothenburg, prohibit outside vehicles from entering. This protects historical sites while also ensuring the public's right to sightseeing, leisure, and recreation. Since the federal reforms, states have had exclusive legislative power over noise from facilities and activities. Each state has specified and supplemented the federal Emissions Control Act based on its own characteristics and regional special circumstances. Germany's noise laws, which emphasize planning, effectively combine advanced noise reduction technologies with reasonable and strict regulations, significantly reducing the interference of various noise sources on people's daily lives.

Summary and Implications

In German municipal construction, environmental protection is a top priority. The German government has adopted numerous environmental policy measures, including planning, monitoring, prevention, compensation, taxation, emissions trading, guarantees, and public information dissemination. These measures are supported by relevant federal government laws and reflect the principles of causation, prevention, and cooperation in German environmental law. Today, German environmental legislation is no longer solely focused on protecting the environment and ecological health; it also considers human health, social health, and sustainable development.

In recent years, with my country's economic and social development and accelerated urbanization, environmental noise pollution has become increasingly prominent, leading to frequent disputes and a persistently high number of complaints about disturbances. Conflicts and disputes arising from environmental noise pollution have become more frequent, with complaints about disturbances surpassing those about air and water pollution to become the number one environmental complaint. According to the "2014 China Noise Pollution Prevention and Control Report":

1. During the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period, the national environmental protection system received an average of about 250,000 letters from the public each year reflecting noise pollution.

2. In 2009, the national environmental protection system received 696,000 letters from the public, of which 675,000 concerned issues related to environmental pollution and ecological damage . Among these, 243,000 letters reflected noise pollution , accounting for 36% of the total number of complaints related to environmental pollution and ecological damage, ranking second in proportion among all types of pollution-related letters.

3. There were 43,000 visits from the public, totaling 74,000 people. Of these, 43,000 visits concerned issues related to environmental pollution and ecological damage. Among them, 11,000 visits concerned noise pollution , accounting for 26% of all visits related to environmental pollution and ecological damage, ranking second in terms of the proportion of visits related to various types of pollution.