Moped Noise Is Being Given Too Much Leeway

A Finnish specialist in general medicine says society gives moped and motorcycle noise far too much leeway, despite its potential health and environmental harms.

Janne Kaiunpää was responding to an earlier Helsingin Sanomat opinion piece that urged people to value moped riding. He argues that the appeal is problematic when it defends an activity that can create health risks and environmental damage.

Most mopeds and motorcycles use combustion engines, which are often deliberately made especially loud, Kaiunpää writes. Repeated recreational riding near sidewalks or residential buildings burdens bystanders' hearing, mood and ability to concentrate. It can also trigger stress reactions that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Kaiunpää contrasts this with the strict monitoring of noise from factories, construction work and public events. Noise associated with vehicle hobbies, he says, is treated arbitrarily and allowed to pass with little intervention. He notes that no formal permission has been granted for excessive noise: Finland's Road Traffic Act says an engine must not create unreasonable noise, the Public Order Act prohibits causing a disturbance in public places, and the Environmental Protection Act calls for a sound environment without harm or danger.

The writer supports the electrification of motor vehicles, but says electric power alone does not guarantee road safety or ecological sustainability. He points to destructive land use, environmental toxins and large amounts of electronic and plastic waste connected with batteries and so-called renewable energy.