Car and two-wheeler horns are unrelated to vehicular motion. Yet, a closer look at our busy roads reveals a constant din caused by drivers honking relentlessly, even when unnecessary. Once serene residential areas now reverberate with the cacophony of different horn sounds. The noise at traffic signals and bottlenecks is hitting deafening levels of around 90 decibels (dB), and vehicle drivers ignore ‘silence zones’ near schools and hospitals. People continue to have multi-toned and high-pressure horns, which they use out of habit, while many vehicles have their silencers modified.
Numerous articles and awareness campaigns in Bengaluru and other cities have focussed on this problem, but there is no headway made in effectively implementing no-honking rules.
Noise pollution in Bengaluru is regulated by the Transport Department, Traffic Police and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). But, there is no clarity about which agency is supposed to implement rules on the ground. When this writer contacted the traffic police to complain about noise pollution at a busy junction, she was asked to get in touch with the jurisdictional police (law and order). However, when she contacted the police helpline, the staff did not have clarity on handling violations related to noise.
So, what are the rules and regulations that govern noise pollution and specifically, honking in the city?
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What the rules say
- The 2019 amendment to the Indian Motor Vehicles Act mandates that vehicle horns should be used only as a safety measure. Excessive honking can result in a fine of ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 for subsequent offences.
- According to the Bengaluru Traffic Police, an individual can register a complaint about excessive honking and musical horns with law and order police, through the ‘112’ helpline. The complainant must provide their name, address and the location for where the issue is being reported.
- Currently, there is no mechanism to gather details of the vehicle or track it, because the complaints are registered with the law and order police rather than the traffic police.
- Regulations mandate a radius of 100 metres around hospitals, and educational institutions to be declared as silence zones.
- In Bengaluru, the Karnataka Pollution Control Board has assigned the responsibility of displaying silence zone signages to the DGP and Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic division.
- The responsibility of displaying silence zone signages around Government hospitals and the High Court lies with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
The Central Pollution Control Board declares the following as the permissible noise levels:
Ground reality
Despite these rules and guidelines, there is little effect on vehicle users, who continue to honk indiscriminately.
For example, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has put up no-honking boards under Namma Metro stations to curtail noise from the tunnel boom effect that amplifies sounds. However, most vehicle users ignore the warning.
Here is a video clip taken on a day with relatively less traffic, that shows the spike in decibel levels with every honking sound:
Sheela Gopalaswamy, a resident of BTM layout, observes that people don’t stop short of a single honk. “Continuous and multiple honking has become the norm now. The same people who create so much noise pollution on the road, expect calm and silence in their homes after a chaotic day; we also expect the same silence within our homes.”
A few more video clips of major roads in Bengaluru, where the noise levels are quite high:
Here are the real-time decibel levels in different localities in Bengaluru that fall under various zones. In most instances, the noise pollution levels are way above permissible limits.
Health impact of noise pollution
Excessive exposure to noise pollution can have adverse effects on the physical and mental health of an individual.
Vijay Mehtry, a psychiatrist at Phoenix Psychiatric Centre, explains, “When individuals are constantly exposed to any form of external stimuli, such as overexposure to bright lights, intense smells, repeated incidents of skin exposure to stress, and continuous loud sounds, it can adversely impact their cognitive abilities. Their focus, performance, creative thinking, and emotional abilities may be affected.”
He notes continuous honking or loud noises can lead to physical issues including discomfort, palpitations, sweating and increased blood pressure. They can also impact a person’s psychological well-being and make them give in easily to frustration.
“Some people who spend long durations being exposed to high decibels of sound may seem well adapted. In such people loud sounds may not have an immediate bearing but this, combined with other risk factors, can prove detrimental to one’s health in the long term. The higher the number of risk factors, the higher one’s chance of eventual consequences,” Dr Vijay adds.
According to the World Health Organization’s guidance on noise pollution, long-term exposure to air and road traffic sounds of values more than 65-70 dB(A) can increase the risk of heart disease.
Effects on creatures big and small
Not just humans, sound pollution can negatively impact birds and animals. Colonel Navaz Shariff, Chief Veterinarian and General Manager at the People for Animals (PFA) Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre, says, “High-pitched sounds interfere with communication in birds, which in turn can impact breeding, nesting and foraging patterns. This eventually leads to habitat disruption and a fall in population. It also causes stress and anxiety, leading to a range of physiological and behavioural problems in animals and birds.”
Amidst the impact that honking can have on the public, we cannot forget the guardians of our safety — those who manage road traffic and pedestrian movement. A traffic cop who does not wish to be named says, “The chaos is one thing but people’s impatience and their expression of it adds undue stress on our system. The horn has lost its meaning and is now just a tool to vent out frustration.”
What can we do?
In today’s urban landscape, honking has evolved from a mere habit to an unwritten norm — so ingrained that it is now widely accepted. Alarmingly, many fail to recognise it as a serious issue. Without questioning this behaviour and raising awareness, the problem is bound to escalate further.
One can use smartphone apps to measure sound levels and check against the permissible limits set by the Central Pollution Control Board. When the noise pollution levels in a particular locality go continuously above the limits, it is advisable to make a complaint.
Addressing such a pervasive issue requires collective action and innovative solutions from all corners of society. We invite readers to share their ideas and suggestions on how noise pollution caused by excessive honking can be effectively mitigated.
Please provide your inputs in the form:
Inputs to analyse honking problem
With eloquent articulation, this article uncovers the overlooked rules and regulations often unnoticed by the public or they are unaware.
Excellently researched and written. An eyeopener. Kudos.
The best thing that Bengaluru can do is to adopt the Mumbai System – where for every honk, the waiting time at the signal would go up by 2 seconds…..commuters do not otherwise respect traffic rules (A number of roads are converted to one-way – BUT, the educated themselves do not follow them) – pathetic situation in Bengalure.
No respect at all for senior citizens