An increasing number of Dutch people are becoming seriously ill because of traffic noise, information institute Crow-KpVV said in a report on Tuesday.

According to the institute’s research, between 600,000 and 800,000 people in the Netherlands are seriously affected by traffic noise. They report feelings of anger, aversion, discomfort and dissatisfaction.

A further 300,000 report problems sleeping because of traffic noise.

The institute says the result of these feelings can be fatal. Each year around 84 heart attacks can be attributed to the frustration engendered by traffic noise.

By 2020, the damage caused to health by the sound of traffic will be just as great as that caused by traffic accidents, the institute says.

Around 445,000 homes have been registered by the government because they are in an area of loud traffic noise. For one-third of these, measures have been taken to reduce the nuisance, such as a quieter road surface, sound screens and gable insulation.