Nigeria's largest city Lagos declared a car "Horn-Free Day" last week in an attempt to raise awareness of noise pollution. People are constantly bombarded with an endless cacophony of screeches, sirens and high-pitched honking from impatient motorists. The Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola told reporters that the extent of the noise from car horns was now serious enough to be a danger to people's hearing. Talking about Horn-Free Day, he told reporters: "It is for our own good. It is for our own health. It is for our own life." The World Health Organization said high-decibel noise pollution was a critical health hazard that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.
Governor Fashola hoped his city's roads would be a little quieter. He contrasted the constant honking in Lagos to the relative quiet of European roads. He said he recently spent ten days in Europe and, "did not hear the sound of a horn while driving". He asked: "Can you imagine that we can drive in Lagos without horns?" However, a Lagos blogger defended the use of the horn as part of the city's culture. He said: "Honking is a beautiful trend in this part of the world, and it is a trend that every class of people in the country embraces." Apart from making other drivers aware of danger, he said people honk to greet friends and celebrate weddings and other happy occasions.