Is the trusty vehicle horn now seen as a tool of aggression?
Discussion
The horn is very useful tool...letting other drivers know they are getting a bit close, getting someones attention who are about to walk off a pavement on to the road, getting the driver dawdling in the outside lane of a motorway to move over, and blasting it when some t
t usually in a van cuts you off.
t usually in a van cuts you off.Fort Jefferson said:
If I were in charge, a horn would only work if your brake lights were on.
If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
Inventive, but I disagree. The horn is for warning other road users of your presence - if you're braking that opportunity has passed and the horn has no bearing on the situation. If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
In reality if you use the horn for the purpose it is intended, you'll provoke all sorts of negative reactions.
On trips to Indonesia and recently, Barbados, it was quite unusual to see the horn used properly and in a non-aggressive manner.
I used to live and drive in London; it was a daily occurrence to have to use the horn for people either drifting out of their lane or someone jumping a red light. Been back in Scotland for 2 months now and haven't needed it once, although I came close today when someone in the left-hand lane decided to straight-line a roundabout despite me being right next to them.
I rarely use the horn, and when i do it is when I think someone hasn't seen me so a gentle "parp parp" sort of thing rather than holding my hand on it. I live on a 30mph residential road with parked cars, and every weekday morning will hear at least a couple of 2-5 second blasts where one driver has gone through when another driver thinks they shouldn't have done.
Years ago I fitted lorry airhorns to a car as it had a weedy standard horn. That was obnoxiously loud so I only used it twice; one of those times was when the driver in front of me on a slow-moving motorway was buggering about on social media instead of keeping her eyes on the road... I tried to warn her that she was drifting from 30mph L3 into the now more-quickly moving L2 but presumably she thought she was about to get smacked by a lorry as she swerved half onto the central reservation...
Years ago I fitted lorry airhorns to a car as it had a weedy standard horn. That was obnoxiously loud so I only used it twice; one of those times was when the driver in front of me on a slow-moving motorway was buggering about on social media instead of keeping her eyes on the road... I tried to warn her that she was drifting from 30mph L3 into the now more-quickly moving L2 but presumably she thought she was about to get smacked by a lorry as she swerved half onto the central reservation...
In civilised areas I use the horn as intended. In uncivilised areas such as London I apply the unofficial horn use code that I've picked up from regular driving in SE Asia:
One short beep: I'm here
Two short beeps: watch out!
There are others but they don't fit my driving style; essentially it's more about speaking softly rather than shouting.
One short beep: I'm here
Two short beeps: watch out!
There are others but they don't fit my driving style; essentially it's more about speaking softly rather than shouting.
Chris32345 said:
Fort Jefferson said:
If I were in charge, a horn would only work if your brake lights were on.
If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
So you never need to use a horn when stopped?If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
I was showing down towards a long line of traffic yesterday. Chap in an Audi was parked on a shop front by the side of the road. He wanted to come out, but because I didn't stop my car to let him, he used his horn at me in angry tit mode.
The result, I did then stop, blocking him from getting on the road, then moved on. He pulled out behind me, and I then let as many people as possible in front until he angrily sped off down a side street.
His angry tit mode, turned me into a knob (with an angry wife) and then just made him more pissed off.
Moral of the story, it's best to use the horn for what it's designed for.
The result, I did then stop, blocking him from getting on the road, then moved on. He pulled out behind me, and I then let as many people as possible in front until he angrily sped off down a side street.
His angry tit mode, turned me into a knob (with an angry wife) and then just made him more pissed off.
Moral of the story, it's best to use the horn for what it's designed for.
Klippie said:
The horn is very useful tool...letting other drivers know they are getting a bit close, getting someones attention who are about to walk off a pavement on to the road, getting the driver dawdling in the outside lane of a motorway to move over, and blasting it when some tt usually in a van cuts you off.
Exactly. Although it shouldn't really be a rebuke. t usually in a van cuts you off.Never using the horn doesn't imply driving god status.
Fort Jefferson said:
If I were in charge, a horn would only work if your brake lights were on.
If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
I like the idea too but there are a couple of fairly common appropriate uses that wouldn't fit, like RSPaul said on the prev. page.If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
Main road, vehicle waiting to emerge from side road. You have priority, but not sure if the other driver has seen you. No need for brakes, but short horn to get their attention.
Burgerbob said:
I was showing down towards a long line of traffic yesterday. Chap in an Audi was parked on a shop front by the side of the road. He wanted to come out, but because I didn't stop my car to let him, he used his horn at me in angry tit mode.
The result, I did then stop, blocking him from getting on the road, then moved on. He pulled out behind me, and I then let as many people as possible in front until he angrily sped off down a side street.
His angry tit mode, turned me into a knob (with an angry wife) and then just made him more pissed off.
Moral of the story, it's best to use the horn for what it's designed for.
Are you saying you stopped next to him when you could easily have stopped 10ft shorter and just let him out?The result, I did then stop, blocking him from getting on the road, then moved on. He pulled out behind me, and I then let as many people as possible in front until he angrily sped off down a side street.
His angry tit mode, turned me into a knob (with an angry wife) and then just made him more pissed off.
Moral of the story, it's best to use the horn for what it's designed for.
foxbody-87 said:
On trips to Indonesia and recently, Barbados, it was quite unusual to see the horn used properly and in a non-aggressive manner.
Sri Lanka, took a while to understand the horn usage. Toot - I'm here, toot - I'm thinking of overtaking, toot - here I come, toot - still coming, toot - thanks for slowing slightly, toot - nearly there, toot - I'm past thanks....2gins said:
Fort Jefferson said:
If I were in charge, a horn would only work if your brake lights were on.
If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
I like the idea too but there are a couple of fairly common appropriate uses that wouldn't fit, like RSPaul said on the prev. page.If you need to use a horn, you should be braking.
Main road, vehicle waiting to emerge from side road. You have priority, but not sure if the other driver has seen you. No need for brakes, but short horn to get their attention.
You cannot regulate when an impending danger situation will occur, so we shouldn’t try.
Have to use mine fairly frequently in the usual queue on the way to work. Usually people in front of me on their phone so simply don't react to the lights going green.
After you've been in the queue for 10 minutes I think a gentle prod of the horn is pretty polite considering!
To be fair, more often than not they usually put their hand up in a 'sorry' type gesture.
After you've been in the queue for 10 minutes I think a gentle prod of the horn is pretty polite considering!
To be fair, more often than not they usually put their hand up in a 'sorry' type gesture.
RSTurboPaul said:
Burgerbob said:
I was showing down towards a long line of traffic yesterday. Chap in an Audi was parked on a shop front by the side of the road. He wanted to come out, but because I didn't stop my car to let him, he used his horn at me in angry tit mode.
The result, I did then stop, blocking him from getting on the road, then moved on. He pulled out behind me, and I then let as many people as possible in front until he angrily sped off down a side street.
His angry tit mode, turned me into a knob (with an angry wife) and then just made him more pissed off.
Moral of the story, it's best to use the horn for what it's designed for.
Are you saying you stopped next to him when you could easily have stopped 10ft shorter and just let him out?The result, I did then stop, blocking him from getting on the road, then moved on. He pulled out behind me, and I then let as many people as possible in front until he angrily sped off down a side street.
His angry tit mode, turned me into a knob (with an angry wife) and then just made him more pissed off.
Moral of the story, it's best to use the horn for what it's designed for.
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