The Mumbai police have banned the use of car audio systems while driving under Section 190 (2) of the Motor Vehicles Act. The fine is Rs 500 for offenders that are caught.
There is no country in the world that bans music while driving, although some do have limits on how loud you can play music in your car. The rationale behind this move is studies that have shown music being played in a car to be distracting to the point of making the driver dangerous. The Mumbai Police are also claiming to curb noise pollution with this move. However, here are some interesting things for you to think about: 1. We’re used to incessant honking from all and sundry, but not much is being done to curb honking. 2. Radio has been effective in letting drivers know about traffic snarls, but the ban will not allow motorists to listen to radio. S.M. Sabde, deputy commissioner of traffic police (suburbs), has gone on record saying that drivers can receive alerts via SMS or call the control room for updates. 3. The drives are going to be carried out in the evenings and will concentrate on areas that tend to have youngsters speeding about with blaring music.
We think that the intention is good – the police want to curb accidents caused by irresponsible drivers – but a blanket ban on music systems does not make sense. Asking drivers to use their mobile phones makes even less sense. We’ll leave you with one last observation – fine for driving without a seatbelt: Rs 100. Fine for talking on the phone while driving: Rs 100. Fine for driving with music: Rs 500 – when the maximum fine stated by law is Rs 100!
