Cars are noisy things aren't they?

[fatboy]

Not wishing to state the obvious but I went out for a ride last night and decided to stop and take in the view (or have a rest ) and just how noisy cars are became really obvious. You could hear the tyre noise of the cars for probably half a mile at least. Eventually the cars all dissapeared and I could hear the sheep bleating, the birds singing and it was wonderful. And then another car came past, so I grumbled and cycled off.

[workhard]

Not wishing to state the obvious but I went out for a ride last night and decided to stop and take in the view (or have a rest ) and just how noisy cars are became really obvious. You could hear the tyre noise of the cars for probably half a mile at least. Eventually the cars all dissapeared and I could hear the sheep bleating, the birds singing and it was wonderful. And then another car came past, so I grumbled and cycled off.

Don't rely on it though, I nearly got taken out last week by my dozey neighbours Prius running on electric motor.....

[byegad]

Being slightly hard of hearing I find traffic noise makes me functionally deaf. All I can here is the roar of traffic and not what the person next to me is saying.
There again Musak and crowds have the same effect. Life seems to me to be gettting louder all the time, the young drivers who have Boomtity boomtity boom music on so loud that I can hear them coming before I hear the car will learn this at an earllier age than me too!

[Willpower]

Yes they are really noisy. Whenever I've been to somewhere where traffic is rare, It always shocks me how noisy england is.
Why on earth do we put up with such a racket? Without wishin to harp on about the 'good old days' it must've been ever so peacefull before the motor car was invented.

As you rightly say, most of the noise these days is tyre noise - if you're ever out and about when there's a propper snow covering on the road you'll see just how quite modern engines can be, so long as they're not owned by some chav idiot who insists on making it loud.

[lauriematt]

Not wishing to state the obvious but I went out for a ride last night and decided to stop and take in the view (or have a rest ) and just how noisy cars are became really obvious. You could hear the tyre noise of the cars for probably half a mile at least. Eventually the cars all dissapeared and I could hear the sheep bleating, the birds singing and it was wonderful. And then another car came past, so I grumbled and cycled off.

Don't rely on it though, I nearly got taken out last week by my dozey neighbours Prius running on electric motor.....

do electric cars make any noise???

[workhard]

do electric cars make any noise???

For sure, a bit of motor whine and tyre rumble, but it doesn't sound like a normal car which is what my (our) ears are generally tuned to....

I'm told they regularly have people step of the kerb in front of them when looking the other way.....

[fatboy]

Out in the country it's the tyre noise that makes the racket. Why we put up with it I don't know?

[brianleach]

They sound like a milk float starting off, for those of you old enough to remember.

Before you ask yes I am old enough to remember.

Brian Leach

[vernon]

Not wishing to state the obvious but I went out for a ride last night and decided to stop and take in the view (or have a rest ) and just how noisy cars are became really obvious. You could hear the tyre noise of the cars for probably half a mile at least. Eventually the cars all dissapeared and I could hear the sheep bleating, the birds singing and it was wonderful. And then another car came past, so I grumbled and cycled off.

It might not be the cars but the road surface that's responsible for the noise. Apparently when the A1 link road was built, residents of Garforth had their peace and quiet destroyed by the road noise. I'm not sure what was done to reduce the problem

Equally it's not unknown for motorists to be suddenly startled by a sudden increase in road/trye noise, stop by the roadside and call one of the motorist rescue services because they were convinced that their cars had developed a serious mechanical fault.

[Tom Richardson]

Equally it's not unknown for motorists to be suddenly startled by a sudden increase in road/trye noise, stop by the roadside and call one of the motorist rescue services because they were convinced that their cars had developed a serious mechanical fault.

its the other way around here - drivers worry that they have a fault if their car goes quiet - they worry that their 12inch exhaust megaphone has dropped off. Its a major concern for many people if their car doesn't make a doleful moaning noise that can be heard at least a mile away

[thirdcrank]

Living about a mile from the M 62 and within half a mile of the M621 I know all about tyre noise, but what really gets to me is the noise of in-car 'entertainment' swithched up so loud it is uncomfortable for people outside the car. Many people are going to be deaf before they are 30. There is a car in the street outside at this moment - the driver is hoping to impress next-door's daughter. I can feel the bass with our windows closed.

Apparently when the A1 link road was built, residents of Garforth had their peace and quiet destroyed by the road noise. I'm not sure what was done to reduce the problem

The problem there was the concrete road surface, used as an economy measure. The bits near Garforth were resurfaced with tarmac. You did use to get quite startling changes of noise from one surface to the other. I've not noticed it recently - I've probably become accustomed to it.

[jan19]

On my route to work I have a longish stretch of road with speed humps. I have it to myself in the morning, but there's always a fair bit of traffic in the evening. I like the speed humps when I'm cycling - I enjoy hurtling over them - but I'm constantly amazed by the crunching sound of car suspensions as their owners drive to fast over them.

I guess they just don't like me being able to go over them faster than they can!

Jan

[Lawrie9]

Yes, cars are very noisy especially when passing you at 80 or 90 mph. I think it is down to modern road surfaces and contemporary tyre design. I am tempted to wear ear plugs but prefer to avoid main roads as much as possible.

[workhard]

They sound like a milk float starting off, for those of you old enough to remember.

Before you ask yes I am old enough to remember.

Brian Leach

We still have milk floats down here in Sussex, a simply brilliant recycling scheme, twer up to me I'd ban supermarkets from selling milk.........

[fatboy]

We get milk delivered but it comes from the back of a diesel transit. I guess they now have so much bigger rounds than they used to.