Children's auditory perception of movement of traffic sounds

This study examined children's auditory perception of traffic sounds, focusing on identification of vehicle movement. Children in three age groups (5 years, 8 years and 11 years) were presented with recorded sounds of a car approaching, passing and going away from the listener. The auditory perception of movement was identified as a problem area for children, particularly younger children. The number of correctly identified vehicle sounds was found to significantly increase with age. Age differences in some aspects of auditory perception of vehicle movement were more noted than others. Identification of an approaching vehicle was the most difficult task for the 5-year-olds. The role of the attention-demanding characteristics of some traffic sounds and their correct identification was discussed, approaching vehicles catching the attention much later in the stimulus array than passing or receding vehicles. The implications of the results for road safety training were discussed.