Road noise contributes to high blood pressure

Living near a noisy road may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, a new study suggests.

A team of researchers from Lund University team found the risk increased when average daily exposure was 60 decibels – the level of sound produced by conversational speech at a distance of 30cm. A quarter of people in western Europe are exposed to this level of sound from traffic.

The report comes to the conclusion that noise-related caused stress and possibly the associated sleep disruption is leading to elevated blood pressure.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Noise is just one of the ways that traffic can damage our health and another good argument for the lower, and quieter, 20mph speed limits being introduced in the streets were people live.”

Traffic noise is a blight

Noise pollution is a serious and under-reported environmental problem. According to the World Health Organisation, 40 per cent of Europeans are regularly exposed to road traffic noise exceeding 55 decibels. In Sweden, it is illegal for noise levels to exceed 55 decibels at the front of a building.

As part of its noise campaign, the ETA commissioned a survey of traffic noise in rural areas. Written by Lynn Sloman and her colleagues at the Transport for Quality of Life consultancy, it uses qualitative research to discover the impact that the increase in rural traffic has on our quality of life in rural Britain. Download a copy of the report.

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