Government Plans To Bring Noise Level Of Horns Under 100 Decibels

In a bid to curb the ever increasing noise pollution in our Indian roads, the government is planning to bring the noise level of vehicle horns under 100 decibels (dB), says a TOI report. Currently, the stipulated noise levels are fixed in the range of 93 db to 112 db, and the Indian Government aims to reduce this range by around 10 per cent, which is about 88db to 100 db. Right now the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is contemplating this decision and is in talks with vehicle and component manufacturers and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), to come to a decision.

The reason why the government has decided to take this measure is that it feels noise pollution has become a major problem across India. In fact, it's also seen as one of the key causes for increasing hearing loss and damage to eardrums.

Even if the government, manufacturer and SIAM come out with a solution, there is still the problem of after-market pressure horns and multi-tone horns, which are all too common across India. The decibel levels of these horns are way past even the existing maximum noise level of 112 db. Although there are rules against pressure horns and unnecessary honking in place, there is no proper enforcement of these rules.

Interestingly, India is one of the few countries that still have vehicle horns with such high levels of noise. In several countries in Europe and the US, the stipulated level of horn noise is far less and there are even stringent laws to deter unnecessary honking.

Source: Times of India