A recent study by the researchers at University of the West of England has shown that an accommodation in a bustling locality can lead to “fewer friends”. This study was led by Joshua Hart of the University of the West of England, Bristol. This study supports result of the previous study that showed that the weight of traffic beside a person's home can determine their quality of life.  

For this study, researchers compared three streets with different traffic flows. These streets were designated as "heavy", "medium" and "light" in terms of traffic. Researchers monitored the movement of residents in the streets. Researchers compared the traffic flow in street with the relative loneliness of people living there.  

Researchers found out that level of traffic activity determined the level of community interaction. The study showed that heavy street residents had about one fifth of the number of local friends and only half the number of acquaintances while the light street residents enjoyed a sense of community. Light streets had three times the number of gathering spots as compared with the heavy street.  

Researchers found out that tenfold increase in road traffic has isolated people and acted as a barrier between neighbours. The study showed that the chances of people of making a new companion in a traffic-heavy street are just a quarter as good as compared to people living in a tranquil village.  

Lead researcher Joshua Hart said, “Interviews with residents indicate that growing motor traffic has forced people to make major adjustments in their lives, to shield against the nearly constant noise, pollution, dust and danger outside their front doors.”  

He added that many residents revealed that they experience sleep disturbances, no longer spend time in the front of their homes and curtail the independence of their kids in response to motor traffic.