Honking might help drivers to feel like the traffic lights are going to change more quickly, but in the future it might actually make the journey longer. In some instances, considerably longer if a recently tested approach to noise reduction is rolled out permanently.
Although drivers honking is nothing new on the roads, in some cities it is more of a concern than in others. According to the Mumbai Police, the Indian city is the “honking capital of the world” and in places like this, besides being a noise annoyance for those nearby, noise pollution can be a real concern. So much of a problem that it might require a more novel solution.
In a recent Tweet spotted by Interesting Engineering, Mumbai Police detail how they tried a new approach to noise reduction by using what they referred to as “The Punishing Signal.” The police attached decibel meters to traffic lights in an area, and every time the pre-set decibel limit was reached, the traffic signal countdown would reset again. Essentially, forcing drivers waiting on a green light to go through the entire wait cycle once more. The overall results of the trial were not disclosed although the video accompanying the tweet seemed to suggest that once the drivers realized what was happening (there were large signs which read “Honk More, Wait More”) they were more inclined to wait in silence and honk-free.
Can The Punishing Signal Help To Reduce Noise Pollution?
Although the suggestion is the test here garnered positive results, this seems unlikely to be something that would help in the grand scheme of things. For one thing, only having them in certain locations simply opens the door for drivers to avoid those locations. While that might cut down on traffic and by association, noise, it would only be shifting the problem to another area. There are other issues as well, including the knock-on effects of traffic being heavier than usual, and for longer than usual. The reality is that traffic is hardly ever solved by making a traffic situation worse which appears to be the case here. A better way to actually fix the problem would be to deal with the traffic issue to begin with. Otherwise, it is simply a matter of addressing the symptoms and not the underlying problem.
Regardless of whether an approach like this would work, either in India or in the U.S., it is an excellent PR exercise to highlight how noise pollution is a growing problem. If the video helps even a few drivers to become more responsible with honking, then it was likely a worthwhile endeavor. As for actually solving the issue of both traffic and driving-related noise, that’s probably going to come down to all those self-driving robot taxis everyone will be taking in the future.
More: Would You Trust Your Life To A Robot Taxi?
Source: Interesting Engineering
