Photo credit: Pixabay
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The EuroWeekly site reports that noise is a problem on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Reporter Adam Woodward writes that noise from vehicle exhausts and other sources is a problem in Benalmadena’s Arroyo de la Miel district. The other noise sources include a Christmas fair for children, and a display organized by the municipality. The noise is especially problematic for those living on the upper floors of buildings.
I haven’t bothered trying to track down the local noise ordinances in Benalmadena but there are vehicle noise and exhaust laws in Spain. Basically, it looks like vehicles with noisy exhausts are prohibited from using roads and streets in cities.
Here in the United States, I suspect that enforcement of existing vehicle noise ordinances is a low priority for the local police. Nighttime noise disrupting sleep is a health problem, not merely a nuisance. I hope that people living in Benalmadena can convince local authorities to enforce the vehicle exhaust noise laws soon.
A quieter city will be a better and healthier city for all.
