Don’t damage ears with loud air horns

A few days ago, Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, reportedly disturbed by the continuous blast of a loud air horn from a private bus in Kothamangalam, directed the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) to launch a special drive against vehicles using “ear-splitting” air horns. When MVD officials carried out the drive in Ernakulam district, more than 250 vehicles were caught using illegal air horns within just a few days, and the department collected around Rs 4.5 lakh in fines. The seized air horns were later crushed under a road roller following the minister’s instructions. It has been decided that the drive will continue in the coming days.

This drive should not be limited to Ernakulam alone. It should be extended to all districts, and air horns causing serious hearing problems must be removed from vehicles. Scientific evidence shows that sudden, high-intensity sounds can seriously damage human hearing. Normally, the human ear can tolerate sounds up to 85 decibels. Horns producing up to 112 decibels are legally permitted on vehicles, but air horns of 130 decibels or more are often used in lorries, trucks, and other vehicles. Using air horns in city centres and busy areas, including on buses and other public transport, not only causes disturbance but also leads to health problems and even severe hearing loss.

Horns should be used only to alert the driver of the vehicle ahead or to indicate the presence of a vehicle behind. They should not be used to create unbearable noise for the public. The minister has stated that not only will air horns installed in vehicles be confiscated, but air horns sold in shops will also be seized, and heavy fines will be imposed on such businesses. While the initiative to remove air horns from vehicles is generally welcomed, there has been some criticism that the minister’s directive to crush the seized horns on the road using a roller was more of a “show-off”.

Questions have also been raised about whether officials have the legal authority to destroy confiscated items rather than just impose fines. Reports also emerged that the road roller used for crushing the horns did not have a pollution certificate and was later given ten days to obtain one. Nevertheless, public health and safety on roads are just as important as the freedom to travel. The minister’s initiative aims to ensure that safety. Beyond the drama and criticism, the focus should remain on enforcing the ban effectively. The drive must be implemented across all districts without delay, so that drivers stop “bursting Kerala’s eardrums” with air horns.