BENGALURU: Honking on Bengaluru’s roads appears to have become more of a habit than a safety response, with only around 30% of the respondents saying that honking was related to an alert for danger or to highlight incorrect driving. In contrast, more than half of them attributed it to habitual behaviour, including reflex honking at traffic signals, impatience, frustration and aggressive driving behaviour.
According to the ‘No Honking Survey’ by Beautiful Bharat, a citizen volunteer group, as part of its ‘Let’s Hear the Birds Chirp Again’ campaign timed on World Deaf Day on Sunday, an overwhelming 97% of the 259 respondents agreed that excessive honking is a very big problem in Bengaluru. The report said that a similar number also agreed that there is a lot of scope for commuters to cut down on the frequency of honking.
Environment and Sustainability Changemaker and Founder of Beautiful Bharat, Odette Katrak said, “The Bengaluru of the past gave us the sound of birds chirping, whereas today all we hear is honking. This was the theme from 2016, and 10 years later, honking has only gotten worse.”
Katrak said the survey was conducted to draw attenton to the fact that excessive honking leads to early hearing loss.
The report said it has been proven that excessive honking results in hearing loss and people in India experience hearing loss seven years earlier than in quieter countries. It said only 68% believed that they would be able to drive safely if their horn stopped working because they considered it as an important safety device for vehicle occupants. It said that 92% of respondents believed that excessive honking can negatively impact the well-being of a community.
“Awareness of the impact of exposure to high levels of honking and noise on medical or mental health issues was relatively low, with more than half of the respondents, just over 50%, not aware of any direct correlation”, the report revealed, adding that greater awareness among vehicle users, with traffic police coordinating with hospitals, could help bring about behavioural change.
When the respondents were asked about suggestions to help reduce honking, most people focused on education and awareness, and better traffic management.