HORN OK PLEASE !

Govt. Soon To Make Law 

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is planning to bring a law under which only the sound of Indian musical instruments can be used as a horn for vehicles. His idea might not be difficult to execute, but the question is will doing so reduce the cacophony. He added that he was studying sirens used by ambulances and police vehicles, and considering replacing them with a more pleasant tune played on the All India Radio.

                         City dwellers endure frustratingly loud and irritating horns while jostling through an array of vehicles on Indian roads on a daily basis but what is the purpose of horn ? In our vehicular culture, it serves more than just warning the approach of a vehicle, or seeking our attention. But horniness apart, the very point in using the horn on our roads is used it 'aimlessly' and 'shamelessly', with the singular aim of making not just one's presence but also one's mobile mardangi felt.

                         Under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, the noise range for horns has been fixed between 93 dB and 112 dB. The sound of the horn, is almost the same in every country. And it hasn't really changed drastically since Oliver Lucas of Birmingham developed the standard electric car horn in 1910. It is more of a human problem than a technological problem.

                         Unnecessary and compulsory honking that is a characteristics of people in India has made the primary role of horns irrelevant. Sweet sounding horn might not be the best idea as people then might just turn into honking for entertainment purpose. It seems to be quite curious to know what would be out there to have musical horns played at roads.