Safe Speed Forums

My car battery went flat this morning so I had to give it a bump start (don't see that very often now)
So as you do, I opened the driver door give a push jumped in, second gear, let out clutch before I slow too much and bingo it fires up. Only to find a merc honking his horn as he aproached and pull out to pass me?
What was that for? There was no traffic, pulling out and passing was both safe and easy. I don't think honking his horn was of any use to me, a push would have been though.
Anyway it got me thinking, what is the point of a horn?
It's a quite useless device that only serves as a catyalist to road rage, I've seen some really stupid things happen because someone used there horn instead of there brain.
I have never found the need to use my horn in 15 years of driving but it's still a legal requirment on all motor vehicles.
Can anyone tell me of a situation where a horn could make the difference bettween life or death?

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someone drifting infornt of you on a motorway or a duel carrageway, or my favorite on a round about.

I once had a cilo with no left hand mirror nearly take out the right front wing on my car (I had it a week ) I used my horn then.
I Looked very pi$$ed off , dispite the danger, he and his friends found this amussing.

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
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Entering/leaving a building with limited visibility( e.g warehouse/garage) : approaching a hump backed bridge (especially of the single lane canal type) : bad bends on single track/narrow roads ---to provide warning of your prescence.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

For the numpty at lights who rolls back towards because he has taken his foot of the brake rather than applying the handbrake.

For pedestrians who are about to bolt across the road when it is clear they haven't looked or seen you.

Not exactly driving, but a female friend had someone try to attack her in supermarket car park she dropped her keys getting into the car but locked it from the inside and held the horn down, a couple of the trolley guys came over and the attacker buggered of.

Also very handy when on construction sites.... especially when the JCB drivers drive like they are driving a

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

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Do tanks have to have horns when on the road? How loud would they have to be?!

I've never used my horn except pre-MOT and when bending down to get something and knocking it by accident (when parked in driveway!)

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Andrew.

both those are scenarios i would try not to put myself in, i.e. not overlapping until i was sure of their line and making sure there was a gap ahead to minimise my time exposed to their potential numptiness.

not always practical perhaps but by doing so you foresee & accomodate their dubious manouevre without putting yourself at risk.

apart from blind bends on narrow lanes & hump back bridges (and perhaps mindless pedestrians) i expect most times people use the horn are either a)avoidable by defensive driving/positioning or b)bloody mindedness.

The intended use of the horn is to inform people of your presence, not to tell them to get out of your way.
I use mine rarely and the vast majority of the time i use it as it should be. I will admit to occasionally keeping it on for longer than strictly necessary for someone who's been a complete muppet, but that is an even rarer occasion.

Having said that, i think the length of the 'beep' can be a telling factor in the intended specific use (polite short beep or long angry blast) and the likelihood of road rage.

I understand that, however in busy traffic this is not always practical. Some people seem unable to keep there cars in lane.

At roundabouts you can joining it at the same time,and you can see them drifting towards you even though they know you are next to them. People don't seem to worry about the blind spot.

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

On a busy motorway where the artic on your left has indicated and started to move into your lane, because he hasn't seen you stuck by his side, and you have nowhere to go. OK perhaps you shouldn't be parallel with him, but sometimes the conditions force you into positions that you wouldn't otherwise have chosen to be in.

To wake up the pillock that is busy reading a map or something at the traffic lights and hasn't realised that they have been green for 10 seconds or so, and are about to go red again.

To make everyone think "what a twat" when you play the "General Lee" horn tune down residential streets.

The horn isn't needed often in typical conditions, but I think it's really important in some circumstances.

- The road I live on has a blind single track humpback bridge. I NEVER drive over it without honking. If the horn wasn't working I'd go another way I think.

- Blind spot situations are sometimes best 'saved' with the horn. Suppose I'm part way past another vehicle (either on a motorway or on a single carriageway) and he decides to pull out into the space I'm occupying. Sure, I'll brake or accelerate so as I'm visible or can make it into a miss - but the best and safest solution is to make him aware so that he stops coming.

- Sometimes you can't say 'thanks' with a visual signal. I have found that this applies constantly in my campervan when a large or slow vehicle has pulled over to let a stream of vehicles past. I just give a beep beep.

So long as we remember that the horn is 'the warning instrument', we should be OK. It's frequently used as a rebuke, and I'd rate that as a complete 'no no'.

Using the horn for 'hello' or 'thank you' also seems sensible and appropriate to me, provided that due consideration is given to anyone who might be disturbed.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I've got a 307, and as Ernie will probably confirm, the horn is a waste of time! If you need to use it, by the time it sounds the moment has passed.

Stupid French electronics.

disconnect your horn and mad events will happen. cows will block the road. people will let go of shopping trollies and you will have no means of allerting them and your wife will drive away from you with her handbag on the roof.

reconnect your horn and none of these events will happen.

This was the sort of thing that happened whilst I was waiting for a new airbag cable after some clumsy mechanic broke mine!

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Years ago I was in a queue of traffic going through some lights and the lights changed. A woman in a flat-back Transit was ahead of me as the lights went red and hesitated then decided to stop. By this time she was a bit too far over the line and into the junction so she decided to reverse a few feet. Unfortunately, I was behind her and there were other cars behind me. I saw here reversing lights go on and...

...boy did I wish my horn had worked!

I don't use it much but when you need it, you really need it!

As another bit of horn trivia, it may amuse the forumites to hear that years ago - before European type approval standards, each country had its own requirements. Apparently, Italy was the only country where the actual note the horn sounded was a type approval item!

I would say certainly they need horns, although to be fair I tend only to get to use mine in supermarket carparks!

Mostly other drivers are aware you're there because they see you. If your car is unable to represent itself visually to neighbouring traffic it MUST do so audibly.

Approaching a tight bend or a hump-backed bridge, you're perhaps within a yard or two of another vehicle but the driver can't see you. He/she must be afforded the opportunity to hear you as a substitute. This isn't an option; other vehicles simply have to know you're there.

(Alternatively you could get a car where you press a button to cause it to emit a foul odour so that he can smell you!)

The point I'm making is that it's imperative that your car makes its presence felt through one of the human senses.

I'm noticing a horn becomes less useful as cars become more soundproof...either that or I'm going deaf*.








*Having seen Motorhead, Slayer, The Ramones, Sepultura, Morbid Angel, Public Enemy, Metallica, Soundgarden, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Queens of the Stone Age and many other very loud bands at least once in my youth, perhaps the latter theory has some credence

In another thread it has almost been implied that you should toot-toot whenever you approach someone waiting in a side road to pull out - just in case they haven't seen you.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

To which they'll reply by saying "thanks" and pulling out in front of you...

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Andrew.

I like that. I really like that!

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

They DO have a horn? I thought it was just a symbol somebody had forgotten to file off the mould!
A bit like the vacant space in the light cluster where my front fogs SHOULD be, but are not fitted!
My 406 had a horn which could be played with finesse - the merest prod of the steering boss produced an equally brief toot - so much that pedestrians would not be certain you had used it - but the 307 needs a mallet to set it off!
Same thing stops you from briefly flashing main beam when you have low beam selected. I think Mole has an explanation!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!