IJEP 45(8): 760-765 : Vol. 45 Issue. 8 (August 2025)
1. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Faculty of Audiology and Speech, Language Pathology, Chennai – 600 116, Tamil Nadu, India
2. The New College (Affiliated to University of Madras), Royapettah, Chennai – 600 014, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
This study aimed to examine how road traffic noise might affect drivers’ hearing across different frequency ranges, including low, speech and high frequencies. It also looked at how drivers’ age and experience could influence these effects. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 98 healthy professional drivers aged 25-55. Participants were divided into three groups based on age and driving experience. Standard pure tone audiometry and extended high-frequency audiometry (EHFA) were used to test frequencies from 250 Hz to 16 kHz. The study was carried out between July 2021 and August 2022. Results showed that hearing thresholds increased with higher frequency and more driving experience. The data suggested that hearing loss might occur earlier at 4 kHz to 8 kHz than at lower frequencies in conventional audiometry. The differences were more significant in EHFA, especially in groups with longer exposure and higher age. Threshold levels were significantly elevated (p-value <0.05) across all tested frequencies, except for lower frequencies in conventional audiometry. The findings indicate that drivers are particularly at risk for hearing loss after prolonged noise exposure. EHFA can be useful for early detection of increased hearing thresholds at high frequencies. The researchers recommend raising awareness, performing regular hearing tests and educating drivers about the harmful effects of loud traffic noise in urban areas.
Keywords
Auditory health, Education, Exposure, Frequencies, Threshold
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