Honks can drive you crazy: Doctors

Hyderabad: The traffic police plans to intensify its drive against unnecessary honking of vehicle horns. The penalty for using multitoned horns and those making over 80 decibels of noise may extend up to Rs 1,000 for repeated violations.

Doctors including ENT surgeons said prolonged exposure to loud noise from close quarters may lead to tinnitus, a disorder where a person “hears” abnormal sounds even in the absence of sound.

Image Hospitals consultant psychologist Dr S.V. Nagnath said civic and road sense makes people honk unnecessarily. “Excess honking can also be due to frustration and self-obsession,” he said.

“Noise is injurious to health. There are chances of a person becoming deaf if exposed to prolonged noise levels of over 100 decibels. Loud honking in traffic will have a psychological effect,” ENT surgeon Dr C. Shekhar Singh said.

Apollo Hospitals senior consultant physician Dr Aftab Ahmed said the loud noise of horns at close quarters causes irritation and leads to rise in blood pressure.

“Loud noise of horns is not good for cardiac patients. Migraine headaches get precipitated by loud honking. It can increase the risk of fits in epilepsy patients and have an impact on heart, moreso in persons with a history of anxiety,” he said.

Though the Road Transport Authority has banned use of multitoned and air horns, the city automobile accessories market is flooded with non-branded horns with noise levels touching 150 decibels. In contrast, These horns are manufactured in Delhi, Goa and China.

Joint transport commissioner B. Venkateshwarlu said though branded horns that come fitted with new cars and two-wheelers from the companies are restricted to less than 80 decibels, some vehicle owners get it replaced with noisiest ones.

“They can be fined and horn confiscated as per Motor Vehicles Act,” he said. Hyderabad traffic additional commissioner of police Jitender said the police would intensify booking cases against multitoned and noisy horns particularly in silent zones near schools and hospitals this year.

Violators include police vehicles

Among the persistent violators of the law against loud sounds is the police, with persistent use of the sirens.

Oftentimes, the police use the sirens, measured at a painful 120 decibels, in crowded areas or to simply clear illegal parking of vehicles or footpath vendors.
Image Hospitals, Madhapur, consultant psychologist Dr S.V. Nagnath said the police had got accustomed to using the siren.

“The siren can alert robbers and thieves. Using the siren in residential colonies is not acceptable. The police should give serious the habit of sounding the siren which is definitely higher than 100 decibels. Anything above 80 decibels is bad for human health,” he said.

Ms Vandana, a resident of Airlines Colony in Trimulgherrry, said, “Twice after midnight, the police van blares out the siren. Everyone in the house wakes up. This is not acceptable.”

A motorist complained that the police sounds the siren after closing in on their vehicles. “There should be some rule for applying the siren,” said a motorist.
Hyderabad traffic DCP A.V. Ranganath said the issue seriously needs focus and police the should use the siren only when it is necessary.

“Normally, the police uses the siren to reach the spot of crime early and it is also a visible deterrent to crime. There is a division of opinion about use of sirens. Many residents have complained to us of noisy police sirens at night, but others said it gives them confidence,” he said.