Why is the noise from traffic on roads louder when it is raining or the road is wet than it is on a dry day?Elisabete Freitas University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal Road traffic noise is mainly caused by tyre vibrations due to the friction between the tyre and the road surface. This noise is amplified by the horn-like shape in front of and behind where each tyre touches the road - known as the "horn effect". When it is raining, there is an obvious increase in the traffic noise due to the impact of the rain on the vehicles and the spray caused by the movement of the wheels. As well as this, the water on the surface interferes with the generation of noise caused by the contact between road and tyre, and how this noise is propagated.
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