Noise abatement and traffic safety: The trade-off of quieter engines and pavements on vehicle detection

► Pavement, vehicle type, age, and noise interact in vehicle detection levels. ► Pavement type affects detectability more than vehicle type. ► Younger and older age groups are the least sensitive to vehicles in noise. ► Noise abatement techniques might compromise pedestrian safety. ► Loudness signal-to-noise ratio best predicts vehicle detection.