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Lagos in Nigeria declared a car "Horn-Free Day" last week to try to raise awareness of noise pollution. People constantly have to listen to the endless sound of screeches, sirens and high-pitched honking from impatient motorists. The Lagos governor told reporters that the noise from car horns was now serious enough to be a danger to people's hearing. The governor said Horn-Free Day: "Is for our own good. It is for our own health. It is for our own life." The WHO said high-decibel noise pollution was a critical health hazard. It increases the risk of heart diseases and high blood pressure.

The governor hoped his city's roads would be a little quieter. He contrasted the honking in Lagos to the quiet of European roads. He said he spent ten days in Europe and, "did not hear the sound of a horn". He tried to imagine Lagos without horns. A Lagos blogger defended 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." He said people honk to make other drivers aware of danger, to greet friends and celebrate weddings and other happy occasions.