Oakwood resident Margaret D'Angelo lies awake in bed at night in her Malone Avenue home, waiting for the sound of a car crash.

Having sweet dreams interrupted by such worries is only one of the drawbacks of living along a thoroughfare like Hylan Boulevard.

According to a new study, those who live on busy streets (5,000 vehicles per day) harbor more negative feelings about their block, have fewer friendships with neighbors, are more often interrupted during sleep, meals and conversations, and spend less time walking, shopping and playing with their children than do folks who live on streets with lighter traffic, defined as 1,000 vehicles per day.

The study, "Traffic's Human Toll," was released yesterday by Transportation Alternatives, a non-profit group that advocates bicycling, walking and public transit.

It showed that people who live on the busiest streets tend to keep their windows closed and curtains drawn, to block out the traffic, and spend more time in areas of the house farther from the street.

The study was conducted over 14 months in four neighborhoods: Astoria, Queens; Brooklyn Heights; Manhattan's Chinatown, and High Bridge in the Bronx. Of residents surveyed, 49 percent said reducing traffic would "totally improve" their quality of life.

Though Staten Island wasn't included in the study, residents of the borough's busiest streets can easily relate to its findings.

"Years ago, you used to be able to play football on a Sunday afternoon on Hylan Boulevard," said Jennifer Patton, whose Oakwood home borders Hylan. "Now, you're lucky if you don't get killed."

The negative effects of living near a major street can have far-reaching consequences, with public health implications due to residents venturing out of their homes less often, said the study's author, Karla Quintero.

After four crashed cars found their way into her backyard over the last 15 years, Ms. Patton won't even let her daughter stand on the corner by herself.

A car knocked Ms. Patton down last year while she was crossing the street, and Ms. D'Angelo has nearly been hit.

The constant whoosh of cars flying along Hylan pervades the interior of residents' homes.

"The bedrooms face Hylan, and we can't sleep with the windows open. There's so much noise just from traffic," Ms. Patton said.

Ms. D'Angelo's bedroom is at the far side of the house, away from the boulevard, but she still hears the noise, she said.

"If I'm watching a movie, I'll close the windows," said Ed Valdez, whose front door opens onto Hylan. But other than that "traffic is traffic," the Oakwood resident said. "I tune it out."

Perhaps Valdez's tolerance for constant loud noise is less surprising in light of where he used to live -- near John F. Kennedy Airport.

Maura Yates covers transportation news for the Advance. She may be reached at myates@siadvance.com.