Whispering LEAFs fail to arouse slumbering villagers

The silence of one of Europe's quietest villages was completely un-shattered when four Nissan LEAF electric vehicles (EVs) raced around the streets the night of April 30.

Inspired by the 19th annual International Noise Awareness Day, the organisers arranged for the villagers to be filmed while asleep. The lack of sound from the Nissan EVs speeding through the back streets left sleeping villagers completely undisturbed.

Only the ruffling of curtains and the dilated pupils of watchful cats marked the passage of the LEAFs. The villagers slept on, unaware of the night-time antics going on outside their bedroom windows.

All this quiet, unobtrusive activity, which started and finished in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, was designed to bring public attention to one of modern society's most insidious health hazards – noise.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) at least 13.5 per cent of Europeans are subjected to road traffic noise of more than 55dB, by far exceeding levels loud enough to be detrimental to human health. Noise levels above 50dB can bring problems with insomnia, obesity and life expectancy, while a level of 60dB can be a cause of psychic disorders.

With these figures in mind, the WHO is targeting European night time noise levels that do not exceed 40dB – a figure way in excess of a passing LEAF's running noise level of just 21dB (even quieter than a ceiling fan's 26dB).

According to Nissan Europe's director of electric vehicles Jean-Pierre Diernaz, the LEAF could be even quieter if the company had not consciously added noise so the car could be heard by nearby pedestrians. "Most of the noise you hear when a Nissan LEAF is running at low speed in town is actually artificially created," he said.

"Electric vehicles like the Nissan LEAF will play a very large role in the move to create 'smarter cities' worldwide – cities that aim to create smart solutions for a range of city problems from air pollution to traffic congestion. The goal is to build cities like these where people drive electric vehicles like the Nissan LEAF and the new e-NV200, which will launch in Europe in June. This is a concept that Nissan supports whole heartedly and aims to be a part of now and in years to come."

The top three European countries most affected by high noise levels at day and night are the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Five million people are affected by day time noise levels exceeding 55dB in the UK, while the numbers in France and Italy are 3.8 million and 1.6 million respectively.

The 2014 International Noise Awareness Day was launched by the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC). According to CHC executive director Laurie Hanin, "International Noise Awareness Day was initiated by the CHC in 1995 in order to increase public awareness about the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health, and general well-being.

"As a result, many thousands have had their hearing screened and many more have been educated in the numerous ways to prevent exposure to hazardous levels of noise."