By: Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
The whole world is alarmed at air, water and land pollution. But there’s a deafening silence about noise pollution. Be it human or machine-created, noise disrupts normal activity and balance of life. Honking by motorists is the largest source of noise pollution in the India. The menace of honking is increasing day-by-day in Metro cities in particular, aggravating noise pollution resulting in serious health hazards.
The indiscriminate use of the horn is due to lack of patience of road users to follow rules and regulations. Everybody wants to reach everywhere first! In other countries, honking is considered uncivilised, but in the Indian context, a cultural scene is attached to it.
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Indiscipline is the root cause of such rash driving using the power of one’s shrill horn. Our growing sumptuousness makes us more anti-social, and loud obnoxious public behaviour appears to be the norm. It is a way of overcoming our selfish ways and paying attention to courtesy and developing a civic sense on the roads. Many drivers take it as child`s play in horning without considering its seriousness, thereby inviting unnecessary rage and resentment of the public. While many drivers route to using the horn unnecessarily due to a lack of awareness regarding the negative effects of noise pollution; however, most of them do it only due to the lack of civic sense. Motorists are also eager at traffic signals. They use horns terribly and unnecessarily to seek way at intersections, roundabouts and at jam-packed stretches. In terms of creating noise pollution in cities, auto-rickshaws rank on top. One is sure to hear a dozen horns barking at him if his car does not budge the moment lights turn green. The menace of honking is especially rampant in residential colonies wherein youngsters make excessive use of horn continuously while riding bikes just to flaunt their flashy vehicles.
In India, where people drive recklessly and where there are no clear traffic rules for people to follow, the horn is the only thing the drivers can rely on, while cautioning other drivers and while trying to have their way. Also, the politicians’ vehicles use the loudest of horns. Vehicles that have party flag think that they have the extra rights over the road than others. Motor and driving culture has to be imbibed in the education itself. Courteous driving is the best way to avoid stress while driving. According to the health experts the sound of horns is linked to several modern-day ills, including high blood pressure, stress and blood-sugar levels. Our growing affluence makes us more anti-social, and loud obnoxious public behaviour appears to be the norm. There is no thought given to the very young, the old and the sick. As per the Supreme Court, it is an offence to blow horns in five sensitive areas anywhere in the country. These are – at signals, during traffic jams, in residential areas, near hospitals, and near religious institutions. Most of us are not even aware of these rules and violate the law all the time.
Unnecessary honking and using shrill horns are a menace and we need to appeal to all citizens to help to curb it because no law or rule will help unless the driver changes his or her mindset. Lowering the decibel levels is not the priority, we have to educate people and still if they persist with honking, corrective action will be taken. Every single individual should take a pledge to avoid honking and to drive defensively, carefully and with discipline… and recognise that they want to live in a better city. (The author is a free-lance journalist, writer & cartoonist dixitpatrakar@yahoo.in)
