One of the most appreciated features of St. Lucia, and indeed the Caribbean, are the wonderful melodies and the various genres that add another dimension to our wonderful weather. Foreign nationals flock to our carnivals and music and cultural festivals to take in some calypso or soca or reggae, and of late, some Dennery Segment. But, just as much needed rain can transform into a devastating flood, so can those sweet melodies become soundwaves from hell.
It has become commonplace now to see vehicles traversing the island’s roads equipped with massive speakers pegged to their rooftops, turning songs that could light up a party into inconvenient, annoying, distracting noise.
For decades now there has been the growing trend of vehicles being retrofitted with music systems powerful enough to facilitate an outdoor fete and expensive enough to equate the value of some of the vehicles they have been installed in. What has changed more recently is the regularity with which those vehicles are blaring exceedingly loud sounds while traversing the public highways. What’s even worse is the occasional incidents in residential areas during the evening hours.
Some believe that the advent and promotion of alternative sports, supported by the Ministry of Sports, gave rise to what has been described as a new social ill. Whether that is true or not is besides the point, it is a problem that continues to grow.
Years ago, there was much talk about noise pollution followed by a massive outcry aimed at putting the problem to rest. At the time it was hardly associated with vehicles. Many complained about house parties, the Rodney Bay strip, even Assou Square got its fair share of tongue lashing, particularly when it was held at the Vigie Playing Field. There was also talk of providing the police with the legal framework under which to operate as well as decibel meters to enforce those regulations.
So, what has happened to all that talk.
In the meantime, like so many other ills, the problem has marinated in an unchecked, unregulated free space, that the once small annoyance is now a mammoth task to correct.
The question is where do you start now with addressing this issue?
In 1981, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that nearly 100 million people in the United States (about 50% of the population) had annual exposures to traffic noise that were high enough to be harmful to health (Simpson and Bruce 1981). In the United Kingdom, which mandates local councils to investigate “statutory nuisances” (unreasonable noise), regulations include the Noise Act 1996, focusing on night-time noise (11 pm–7 am). Penalties for breaching noise limits can reach £5,000 for domestic noise.
It is widely established that sounds that reach or exceed 85 decibels (dBA) are way too loud and can cause hearing loss and even heart problems. With that information alone, it warrants serious national attention. Does anyone remember an accident some years ago on the Castries / Gros Islet Highway where a speaker box travelled from the rear seat and crushed the driver to death? While the circumstances surrounding the incident are not exactly clear, one must admit that excessively loud music is a massive distraction to the driver and the rest of the motoring public.
No one is suggesting that loud music should be outlawed entirely, particularly if you take into consideration our Jazz Festival and other special musical and cultural events. What is important to understand though is that there is a time and a place for everything and individual vehicles blaring music on the street or in residential communities, during the day or night, is neither the time nor place for such. Maybe a car sound competition or an organized beach event may be more appropriate, although regular beach goers may have something to say about that.