Horn Not Ok Please

Abstract

Honking too much in city traffic is an escalating behavioural and environmental problem, which adds to the noise pollution, stress, and lower quality of life. This paper discusses the psychological and situational causes of honking behaviour and the extent to which behavioural interventions can decrease unnecessary honking. It was a mixed-method study, incorporating both secondary research and primary data (collected in form of surveys, n = 162), interviews (n = 26), field noise measurements, and a 7- day No Honk Challenge, which involved 23 participants. The major findings are that honking is more of an emotional response than a functional need (frustration), and that regression analysis accounts to 88.5% of the change in behaviour (R 2 = 0.885). Although, there was a significant growth in awareness and self-control in the participants that were a result of the interventions (34% stated that they changed their behaviour), the overall noise levels did not change significantly, and they were still as high as 86.73 dB during the peak periods. The paper suggests a multi-layered approach that involves a combination of behavioural nudges, feedback mechanisms in the real-time, and stricter implementation of the laws in place. It concludes that although short-term interventions might not have immediate effects of reducing measurable noise levels, they are effective in the initiation of cognitive and behavioural changes. These results indicate that long-term, combined strategies can result in the long-term changes in the urban traffic behaviour and noise regulation.