Do most drivers not know what the horn is for ?

[J4CKO]

Was on my bike today going down a single track road which is usually quiet except for the odd gonk that thinks its a good cut through (It really isnt in a car, its a pain) but I got overtaken by a lady in a Mini who in her frenzy to get past put her foot down and went past very close but hey ho, thats my fault for daring to ride a bike but it put her at probably 25/30 when really 15 on that section is sensible due to the blind bend, cue some generic Japanese upright thing (verso something) coming the other way and the two very nearly collide and then blow their horns at each other for a long time, luckily they swerved and respectively ploughed into the bushes and grass verge.

Now, I am thinking that perhaps the horn is better used before these situations occur rather than a rather pointless rebuke afterwards ?

I ride down a lot of lanes like this to avoid and not inconvenience drivers with my wanton desire to ride a push bike but have very rarely seen a horn deployed anything other than after the fact. I try to use mine to, if in such aituation alert other drivers to my presence, last time I did it a "lady" in a Ford Ka coming the other way took it as an affront and flicked me the bird ! we hadnt even seen each other and I was letting anyone who may be round the blind bend that they may like to be cautious but she took it as me getting a "F*ck you" in before we had any incident wonder if she has started getting in a pre-emptive blast now ?

[Mr Gearchange]

The car horn used to be a useful and well used warning device.

These days it's use is purely as a "listen to how pissed off I am" button.

Cars would largely be better off without them for all the good they do.

[Hub]

We are remarkably polite compared to many other countries, but I think that's a good thing.

I think the only times I've used my horn are on tight narrow lanes where you can't see round the bend, or a polite/quiet toot to someone who may have fallen asleep at the wheel when the traffic lights turn green!

[kambites]

Mr Gearchange said:

The car horn used to be a useful and well used warning device.

These days it's use is purely as a "listen to how pissed off I am" button.

Cars would largely be better off without them for all the good they do.

Agreed, although it's been a loooong time since it was used as intended.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Equally annoying is people who use their horn on a blind bend or a hump backed bridge and think that gives them the right of way ....

[Hugo a Gogo]

I remember using my horn (fruitlessly) when a bloke in a bloody big crane that couldn't get round a corner, decided to three-point-turn it
he was reversing back slowly and carefully towards the front quarter of my truck cab

as he gets closer, a gentle beep to say "that'll do" then a frantic beep beep beep, then holding the horn on as he shoved a 7.5 ton truck sideways across the road, breaking the mirror and bending the door

"oh I thought I had room"

nobhead

anyway, as you were

[HellDiver]

Some modern cars have embarrassing horns. The one on the i30 is like a squeaky toy.

Bring back the old two-tones as fitted to the old Rovers from the 90s. They were proper horns.

[durbster]

Last time I used mine was when a Discovery was drifting into my lane without indicating. I thought he's either not seen me, is messing with the radio or he's a prick who thinks bigger car means right of way.

I still don't know which one was true, but my informing him that I already occupied the space he was heading for was taken as a horrific personal insult. He then brake tested me afterwards.

Curiously, when I passed him later on, he appeared to have developed "sudden locked neck syndrome".

[Cooper500]

I remember driving down a B-road with my old man (he was driving). Bloke pulls up fast to a T-junction looking in the opposite direction and shows absolutely no effort to look both ways and starts to roll out (quiet road and probably a local) so my Dad paps his horn to alert him of our presence (usually find a short pap aggravates your average dimwit a lot less). He decides that this is somehow an aggressive gesture, that the sound of the horn has undermined him, he then decides to tear arse after us and gets out of his car at the next junction to "av a go".

Most people view (and use) the horn as an aggressor. Most people are thick.

[badlands1]

I have two horns fitted to my car.

The first one is a air horn which is quite loud.
The second one is a Intercity 125 train horn and it is best not to press that one as it may scare the crap out of someone.

[collateral]

I was going to post a thread about this myself.

I can't comprehend why some people in the UK react to a quick beep in the same manner as if you'd rolled your window down and called their mother a .

If they visited NYC they'd probably have an aneurysm...

[durbster]

There is another use for horns of course.

[andrewrob]

I do remember my little cousin when he was about 3 proudly showing me around his dads new car. He got to the steering wheel and said "you press that when you see someone you know".

I know I know, cool story bro.

[Snoop Bagg]

I tend to use a horn for this very reason, particularly if the roads are wet or slippy, or narrow twisty roads and even single laned bridges.

[Dark Helmet]

I thought car horns were for people to alert the street prospective passengers that their lift has arrived.


DH

[Camaro91]

Are they not for lardy taxi drivers who can't get off their fat arses and ring a doorbell?