Is Street Noise Dangerous?

It comes as no surprise that traffic is one of the largest contributors to noise pollution. Honking horns, screaming sirens, and revving engines create an overstimulating background noise all-too familiar to residential and commercial buildings located near major roadways. All this noise is annoying, to say the least, but researchers have found that consistent exposure to street noise may be a bigger issue than we tend to think.

A study conducted by the Environmental Health Perspect found an association between exposure to street noise during early childhood and behavioral issues in 7-year olds.

“Cumulative exposure during childhood to road traffic noise at home was positively associated with behavioral problems at seven years of age, particularly hyperactivity/inattention symptoms.” – Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Behavioral Problems in 7-Year-Old Children: A Cohort Study

Disturbed sleep patterns are a common result of exposure to residential traffic noise. This introduces a problematic situation for developing children. Deficient sleep can have a negative effect on the frontal lobe, which controls behavior and emotion.  Young children require uninterrupted, quality sleep every night. A consistent lack of this type of sleep during crucial developmental stages is likely to have detrimental effects.

Solutions to Reduce Street Noise

While it is not always possible for families to relocate when their homes become subjected to excessive street noise, there are less drastic measures that can be taken to protect your home and your family from noise-related issues.

A large amount of noise finds its way into your home through unnoticed gaps and cracks in your walls. If your child’s bedroom has a wall facing the street, check for any cracks and fill them in with grout or a similar filler.

More so, if you have street-facing windows, consider upgrading to soundproof windows, or installing a soundproofing curtain.

Once you’ve reinforced any gaps, consider adding an extra layer of protection by installing soundproofing curtains to your child’s bedroom windows, which are extra susceptible to sound leaks. These curtains are engineered to block outside noise from seeping into your home and disrupting your family.

Implementing simple soundproofing solution may be the best way to protect your family from issues arising due to exposure to street noise. If you have any questions regarding affordable soundproofing tips and tricks, leave them in the comments below!