Car Noise Is Killing Us

It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.

2 minute read

May 6, 2022, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


LAX Cars

Mighty Travels / Flickr

A recent study of New Jersey residents that finds car noise contributes to heart attacks, cardiovascular damage and higher rates of heart disease.

An article by Eve Kessler for Streetsblog USA shares news of the study, by researchers at Rutgers’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

“The study used state data to look at almost 16,000 Garden State residents hospitalized for a heart attack in 2018. It found that the heart-attack rate was 72 percent higher in areas with a lot of transportation noise (cars, but also air traffic; Attention: Stop the Chop NYNJ), with fully 5 percent of hospitalizations for heart attacks traceable to elevated transportation noise,” writes Kessler.

“The ground-breaking study — which is among the first such efforts in the United States — aligns with several European studies and likely could be replicated in similarly dense, noisy urban areas.”

France is one of the few countries in the world with policies that work to curb excessive car noise. Earlier this year, French officials announced a plan to install “sound radars” to detect scofflaws. “According to a study by Bruitparif, a state-backed center that monitors noise in the Paris area, a modified scooter crossing Paris at night can wake as many as 10,000 people,” according to a New York Times article by Emma Bubola reporting the news in February 2022. Paris has banned most cars in an area of the city known as a zone apaisée, or quiet zone.

More details from the recent study, connected to the larger collection of findings on the ill effects of automobile dependency, are included in the source article below.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in Streetsblog USA

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Aerial view of schoolyard in Oakland, California with newly planted trees, sports courts, and playground equipment.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds

With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

April 2 - FacilitiesNet

Power lines at golden hour with downtown Los Angeles in far background.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas

Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

April 2 - Los Angeles Times

Green roadside sign with white text reading "Entering Nez Perce Indian Reservation" against grassy field and blue sky.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship

In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.

April 2 - The Conversation