Traffic noise slows children’s memory development, study finds

Pupils' vital attention skills stunted by toxic' peaks of road noise heard from the classroom

Road-traffic noise significantly slows the development of crucial memory and attention skills in primary school children, research has found.

The study of almost 2,700 children aged between seven and 10 in 38 schools in Barcelona, Spain, is the first to assess the impact of traffic noise on child cognitive development over time and to determine the impact of peaks in noise.