I’ve been feeling horny lately…
Discussion
Let’s reclaim the horn!
The horn has completely lost its way in the UK in my opinion. Every car has one, they’re fitted for perfectly sound reasons, but for some reason, horn use has become a bit like one of those words which used to be used in normal day-to-day language, but for reasons of political correctness, are now deemed insulting, degrading or highly offensive.
“Consider use of the horn” used to be one of the individual phases of the old blue Roadcraft system, which meant that advanced drivers were encouraged to at least think about using the horn at every single hazard they encountered on the road.
In the modern version of system, "information" runs throughout the other four phases and means that, amongst other signals, the horn should be used where appropriate as a signal.
The Highway Code has a very clear rule relating to the use of the horn – rule 112 in fact – which states:
The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. You MUST NOT use your horn
• while stationary on the road
• when driving in a built up area between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.00am
except when another road user poses a danger.
That couldn’t be any clearer could it? The horn is there solely to warn other road users of your presence. Makes perfect sense to me – an audible device which gives out a quick “honk” or “toot” whenever you’re unsure whether another road user is aware of your presence. You gain the advantage of knowing you’ve made someone aware that you’re there and they gain the advantage of knowing you’re there. You’d think people would be grateful of the warning wouldn’t you?
If you’re approaching a badly-sighted junction and you see the front of a vehicle starting to emerge, but have no view of the driver, then it’s entirely appropriate to give a short horn warning to the driver to alert them of your presence.
A bus stops in front of you and passengers start to disembark. There is always a real danger that, as you pass the bus, the passengers may cross from the front of the bus, into your path. A longer horn warning on approach will let them know you’re coming and may deter them from stepping out in front of you.
You’re alongside a large goods vehicle which starts to drift in its lane, squeezing you towards the central reservation. A short toot on the horn gets the driver’s attention and creates you some essential space.
You’re approaching a pedestrian walking in the same direction of you with their hood up and on the phone. They start to step into the road and a long honk on the horn gets their attention and they step back on to the pavement.
All good no?
Well, these days, seemingly – no…
For some reason, over an extended period of time (probably over the last 40 or 50 years), horn use and the perception of horn use has completely changed.
I would estimate that 99% of horn use in the UK these days contravenes rule 112 of the Highway Code. Horns are used as a rebuke, as an aggressive response to perceived poor driving, as an intolerant expression of dissatisfaction and often as a demand for another road user to make way.
Someone pulls out from a junction in front of you? HOOONK! B$%#@~d!
Someone cuts you up in traffic? HOOONK! W$!@#r!
Someone dares to give a quick PARP to let you know they’re there? F#@% YOU, YOU F#@%ING !£$%@#*$@£#!!
Not very nice is it?
But how do we change things for the better? We’ve gone a long way down this road and it seems that horn use has changed permanently along with the perception of other people’s use of the horn. How could we possibly stop this descent and go back to appropriate and non-aggressive use of the horn?
Let’s go back to my earlier reference to offensive derogatory terms. These days, minority groups who have previously suffered abuse through certain words and expressions have started to “reclaim” the insulting words and terms by using them themselves, often in a self-deprecating manner which has resulted in the terms becoming less and less insulting.
I have to be careful here, as I’ve no intention of offending anyone, so I’ve had to think long and hard about which of these terms I can use as an example. I’ve chosen the word “queer”.
“Queer” was, for a long time, a word used predominantly as a derogatory term for gay people. It wasn’t always the case though – “queer”, as in “I’m feeling a bit queer” or “how queer” was a fairly normal word in everyday use many years ago, but over time, it became increasingly used as an insult or insulting nickname.
But then the gay community took the decision to “reclaim” the word by using it regularly within their social circles and as references to themselves to the extent that, over time, it became much less insulting and derogatory as a word. Queer has even become an academic term in reference to various aspects of LGBT studies, culture art and politics.
Many other words have gone through this “reclamation” process by various minority groups. If you think about it, reclaiming these words is a clever and inventive tactic to take the sting out of previously offensive language and put two fingers up at the bullys and bigots.
I’m sure you’re wondering where I’m going with this, so I’ll come back to the point.
It’s time for drivers in the UK to reclaim the horn!
We need to change our opinions about horn use and we need to at least try to change other people’s perception of horn use.
I’ve even come up with a tactic, which I’ve been using for a few months now and which seems to work quite nicely.
I’m using my horn much more regularly these days – always in appropriate circumstances where another road user may benefit – but much more often. The tactic, however, is to look for eye contact with the other road user – driver, cyclist, pedestrian – it doesn’t matter who, but when I sound the horn I look to catch the other person’s eye, and then I give them a cheery wave and a smile – as though I know them.
Nine and a half times out of ten, they’ll smile and wave back as though I’m their best mate! Instead of getting an aggressive response, two fingers or a mouthful of abuse, I get a cheerful – if sometimes slightly puzzled – smile and a wave back. It’s a much more positive response, and I’m then certain that I’ve got their attention and they are much less likely to do something careless or daft.
If we all start using this tactic, surely we can reclaim the horn for the purpose it is designed for?
Give it a go, and let me know what you think!
The horn has completely lost its way in the UK in my opinion. Every car has one, they’re fitted for perfectly sound reasons, but for some reason, horn use has become a bit like one of those words which used to be used in normal day-to-day language, but for reasons of political correctness, are now deemed insulting, degrading or highly offensive.
“Consider use of the horn” used to be one of the individual phases of the old blue Roadcraft system, which meant that advanced drivers were encouraged to at least think about using the horn at every single hazard they encountered on the road.
In the modern version of system, "information" runs throughout the other four phases and means that, amongst other signals, the horn should be used where appropriate as a signal.
The Highway Code has a very clear rule relating to the use of the horn – rule 112 in fact – which states:
The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. You MUST NOT use your horn
• while stationary on the road
• when driving in a built up area between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.00am
except when another road user poses a danger.
That couldn’t be any clearer could it? The horn is there solely to warn other road users of your presence. Makes perfect sense to me – an audible device which gives out a quick “honk” or “toot” whenever you’re unsure whether another road user is aware of your presence. You gain the advantage of knowing you’ve made someone aware that you’re there and they gain the advantage of knowing you’re there. You’d think people would be grateful of the warning wouldn’t you?
If you’re approaching a badly-sighted junction and you see the front of a vehicle starting to emerge, but have no view of the driver, then it’s entirely appropriate to give a short horn warning to the driver to alert them of your presence.
A bus stops in front of you and passengers start to disembark. There is always a real danger that, as you pass the bus, the passengers may cross from the front of the bus, into your path. A longer horn warning on approach will let them know you’re coming and may deter them from stepping out in front of you.
You’re alongside a large goods vehicle which starts to drift in its lane, squeezing you towards the central reservation. A short toot on the horn gets the driver’s attention and creates you some essential space.
You’re approaching a pedestrian walking in the same direction of you with their hood up and on the phone. They start to step into the road and a long honk on the horn gets their attention and they step back on to the pavement.
All good no?
Well, these days, seemingly – no…
For some reason, over an extended period of time (probably over the last 40 or 50 years), horn use and the perception of horn use has completely changed.
I would estimate that 99% of horn use in the UK these days contravenes rule 112 of the Highway Code. Horns are used as a rebuke, as an aggressive response to perceived poor driving, as an intolerant expression of dissatisfaction and often as a demand for another road user to make way.
Someone pulls out from a junction in front of you? HOOONK! B$%#@~d!
Someone cuts you up in traffic? HOOONK! W$!@#r!
Someone dares to give a quick PARP to let you know they’re there? F#@% YOU, YOU F#@%ING !£$%@#*$@£#!!
Not very nice is it?
But how do we change things for the better? We’ve gone a long way down this road and it seems that horn use has changed permanently along with the perception of other people’s use of the horn. How could we possibly stop this descent and go back to appropriate and non-aggressive use of the horn?
Let’s go back to my earlier reference to offensive derogatory terms. These days, minority groups who have previously suffered abuse through certain words and expressions have started to “reclaim” the insulting words and terms by using them themselves, often in a self-deprecating manner which has resulted in the terms becoming less and less insulting.
I have to be careful here, as I’ve no intention of offending anyone, so I’ve had to think long and hard about which of these terms I can use as an example. I’ve chosen the word “queer”.
“Queer” was, for a long time, a word used predominantly as a derogatory term for gay people. It wasn’t always the case though – “queer”, as in “I’m feeling a bit queer” or “how queer” was a fairly normal word in everyday use many years ago, but over time, it became increasingly used as an insult or insulting nickname.
But then the gay community took the decision to “reclaim” the word by using it regularly within their social circles and as references to themselves to the extent that, over time, it became much less insulting and derogatory as a word. Queer has even become an academic term in reference to various aspects of LGBT studies, culture art and politics.
Many other words have gone through this “reclamation” process by various minority groups. If you think about it, reclaiming these words is a clever and inventive tactic to take the sting out of previously offensive language and put two fingers up at the bullys and bigots.
I’m sure you’re wondering where I’m going with this, so I’ll come back to the point.
It’s time for drivers in the UK to reclaim the horn!
We need to change our opinions about horn use and we need to at least try to change other people’s perception of horn use.
I’ve even come up with a tactic, which I’ve been using for a few months now and which seems to work quite nicely.
I’m using my horn much more regularly these days – always in appropriate circumstances where another road user may benefit – but much more often. The tactic, however, is to look for eye contact with the other road user – driver, cyclist, pedestrian – it doesn’t matter who, but when I sound the horn I look to catch the other person’s eye, and then I give them a cheery wave and a smile – as though I know them.
Nine and a half times out of ten, they’ll smile and wave back as though I’m their best mate! Instead of getting an aggressive response, two fingers or a mouthful of abuse, I get a cheerful – if sometimes slightly puzzled – smile and a wave back. It’s a much more positive response, and I’m then certain that I’ve got their attention and they are much less likely to do something careless or daft.
If we all start using this tactic, surely we can reclaim the horn for the purpose it is designed for?
Give it a go, and let me know what you think!
Another interesting piece! I have to admit I've been doing this lately myself and the results are mostly positive. The key seems to be to keep the horn note as short and sweet as possible while still remaining effective. People react much more positively to a peep than a beeeepppp. Obviously this will vary depending on circumstances, however. Only the day before yesterday we were diving down a single carriageway DC and some idiots in North Face tracksuits (you know the sort) were strutting about with their GSD on a chain. They started crossing the road as I was about 500 yards away, so no problem - off the gas... Now I'm braking. Now I'm braking even more. The lad has given up crossing and decided to stand in the offside edge of the carriageway gabbing to a 'mate' across the road, and his dog has doubled back behind him and is now heading straight for the car. A quick beep, they move out of the way, and I'm back on the gas...
All lovely, until I hear 'f
kIN ND!' screamed at me. Charmed, I'm sure. Blatantly my fault you've only half-crossed the road and left your dog unattended to the degree it's running at incoming traffic. Eejit. And yes, I did give as much room as the carriageway allowed when I passed... 
All lovely, until I hear 'f
kIN ND!' screamed at me. Charmed, I'm sure. Blatantly my fault you've only half-crossed the road and left your dog unattended to the degree it's running at incoming traffic. Eejit. And yes, I did give as much room as the carriageway allowed when I passed... I can't remember the last time I needed to use the horn in any of the good or bad circumstances you describe. I'd never use the horn behind a horse for instance, a little bit of patience and waiting for room seems a much more sensible option.
And using your horn because a car is starting to cut you up seems perfectly legitimate by the definition of whats acceptable. You are, after all, warning them of your presence in their blind spot.
Now what constitutes an acceptable honk is a valid debate, but personally I've found no matter how hard I press or for whatever purpose, the sound is pretty much the same, its just the duration that might change. Sorry, but in this case honking and then having to make eye contact to disarm the situation just seems wrong.
And using your horn because a car is starting to cut you up seems perfectly legitimate by the definition of whats acceptable. You are, after all, warning them of your presence in their blind spot.
Now what constitutes an acceptable honk is a valid debate, but personally I've found no matter how hard I press or for whatever purpose, the sound is pretty much the same, its just the duration that might change. Sorry, but in this case honking and then having to make eye contact to disarm the situation just seems wrong.
Jon1967x said:
I can't remember the last time I needed to use the horn in any of the good or bad circumstances you describe. I'd never use the horn behind a horse for instance, a little bit of patience and waiting for room seems a much more sensible option.
And using your horn because a car is starting to cut you up seems perfectly legitimate by the definition of whats acceptable. You are, after all, warning them of your presence in their blind spot.
Now what constitutes an acceptable honk is a valid debate, but personally I've found no matter how hard I press or for whatever purpose, the sound is pretty much the same, its just the duration that might change. Sorry, but in this case honking and then having to make eye contact to disarm the situation just seems wrong.
And therein lies the problem - your feelings about the use of the horn are shared by most of the motoring public.And using your horn because a car is starting to cut you up seems perfectly legitimate by the definition of whats acceptable. You are, after all, warning them of your presence in their blind spot.
Now what constitutes an acceptable honk is a valid debate, but personally I've found no matter how hard I press or for whatever purpose, the sound is pretty much the same, its just the duration that might change. Sorry, but in this case honking and then having to make eye contact to disarm the situation just seems wrong.
If we claim to be enthusiastic drivers or advanced drivers or just "better" drivers, we should be looking for and planning for emerging hazards. But if we spot an emerging hazard, what do we do about it? Well, there's all the avoidance tactics and safety positions and secondary plans of course, but what's wrong with using the horn as a signal to make people aware of your presence?
Nothing whatsoever - it's what the horn is designed for and it's what the highway code advises.
It's just that it has been misused so often for so long that people naturally assume that the horn user is being aggressive - hence my little tactic to take the aggression out of horn use.
And let's just be clear - I've no idea where the horse reference came from, but I've never suggested using the horn as a warning to horses. To be clear - horses are very easily startled and there are few things more dangerous than a ton of startled raw meat.
R_U_LOCAL said:
And therein lies the problem - your feelings about the use of the horn are shared by most of the motoring public.
One has to wonder why, though? Over time it's become a tool of rebuke, or at best a method of saying hello/goodbye to someone you know. Experience shows you may as well replace the horn with a winding down of the window followed by a loud 'fk you!' and the reaction would be no different in most cases! I think you're onto something in that a short duration followed by a cheery smile/wave to acknowledge their taking note of your presence is a decent way of handling things. They'll either take your horn in the spirit it was intended, or at worst (dopey drivers being as they are) assume you've mistaken them for someone you know. Either way it diffuses aggression and draws their attention to you, which is the point of the exercise is it not?An interesting topic, and as usual a cracking thread title.
M6L11 said:
One has to wonder why, though?
Exactly the same reason a flash of the headlights is often used to say "come on through" or as an acknowledgement and thank you you give your hazards a quick flash.. popular use has taken over as the norm and opposite to the guidance in the HCIf 99% of drivers think something else, whether its aligned to the HC or not and isn't illegal, then its going against the tide a little?
Plus the noise from a horn startles people for some reason more than anything else, a cyclist can get into a wobble if they hear a horn from behind which is unexpected. Alternatively half the world seem to walk around with earphones in and are rendered effectively deaf anyway... common cause of people being flattened accidentally on railway lines. Sure, very careful and specific use can be a useful tool but I can't see me rushing to use it any more, maybe that's as much a feature of the roads I drive down. The only time I ever hear a horn is the bl00dy farmer trying to round up his cows for milking!
Highway code doesn't seem to help here. Today, I was on a lane behind a very old tractor pulling something or another. We can't to a T-Junction and I stopped a reasonable distance behind him. Without warning (no reverse lights) he began reversing towards me. I had nowhere to go and no time to engage reverse to get the hell out of dodge. As it was, I hit the horn and trouble was averted (but only just). Since I wasn't moving, as I read it, I acted against the wishes of the HC. Am I a danger to myself and others, or has the Good Book got it wrong?
ferrariF50lover said:
Highway code doesn't seem to help here. Today, I was on a lane behind a very old tractor pulling something or another. We can't to a T-Junction and I stopped a reasonable distance behind him. Without warning (no reverse lights) he began reversing towards me. I had nowhere to go and no time to engage reverse to get the hell out of dodge. As it was, I hit the horn and trouble was averted (but only just). Since I wasn't moving, as I read it, I acted against the wishes of the HC. Am I a danger to myself and others, or has the Good Book got it wrong?
Read the Highway Code rule again:The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. You MUST NOT use your horn
• while stationary on the road
• when driving in a built up area between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.00am
except when another road user poses a danger.
If another road user poses a danger, then it's fine to sound your horn when stationary, or outwith the permitted times.
In your case, it was a perfectly legitimate use of the horn and it had the desired effect.
I use the horn fairly often, and have done so more in the years since learning to ride a motorbike.
Horn use needn't be aggressive.
I would always recommend upgrading a weak, single-tone horn to a decent dual-tone. It makes a massive difference, especially to the feeble, comedic ones often fitted to motorbikes and small cars.
Horn use needn't be aggressive.
I would always recommend upgrading a weak, single-tone horn to a decent dual-tone. It makes a massive difference, especially to the feeble, comedic ones often fitted to motorbikes and small cars.
MC Bodge said:
I use the horn fairly often, and have done so more in the years since learning to ride a motorbike.
Horn use needn't be aggressive.
I would always recommend upgrading a weak, single-tone horn to a decent dual-tone. It makes a massive difference, especially to the feeble, comedic ones often fitted to motorbikes and small cars.
Do we think increases in horn volume and tone have contributed to it's interpretation as aggressive?Horn use needn't be aggressive.
I would always recommend upgrading a weak, single-tone horn to a decent dual-tone. It makes a massive difference, especially to the feeble, comedic ones often fitted to motorbikes and small cars.
The feeble comedic peep from my Lotus (somewhat at odds with the car) usually brings about a smile rather than any negative reaction. I agree it could do with being louder in an emergency though MC Bodge!
Maybe optional horns? Standard loud, dual tone one for emergency use and a separate button for a considered 'pip pip, I'm here' type signal...
alicrozier said:
Do we think increases in horn volume and tone have contributed to it's interpretation as aggressive?
The feeble comedic peep from my Lotus (somewhat at odds with the car) usually brings about a smile rather than any negative reaction. I agree it could do with being louder in an emergency though MC Bodge!
Maybe optional horns? Standard loud, dual tone one for emergency use and a separate button for a considered 'pip pip, I'm here' type signal...
A standard type horn plus an air horn with a long hose (or a delay relay) can achieve this. It takes time to pressurise the hose and sound the air horn. I've still not got around to fitting the supplementary air horn to my car (although the Mondeo standard horn is quite good and not too aggressive)The feeble comedic peep from my Lotus (somewhat at odds with the car) usually brings about a smile rather than any negative reaction. I agree it could do with being louder in an emergency though MC Bodge!
Maybe optional horns? Standard loud, dual tone one for emergency use and a separate button for a considered 'pip pip, I'm here' type signal...
GadgeS3C said:
Smile and wave boys.
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOvmRSYeSJY
GadgeS3C said:
Sorry - toot, smile and wave boys
MC Bodge said:
alicrozier said:
Do we think increases in horn volume and tone have contributed to it's interpretation as aggressive?
The feeble comedic peep from my Lotus (somewhat at odds with the car) usually brings about a smile rather than any negative reaction. I agree it could do with being louder in an emergency though MC Bodge!
Maybe optional horns? Standard loud, dual tone one for emergency use and a separate button for a considered 'pip pip, I'm here' type signal...
A standard type horn plus an air horn with a long hose (or a delay relay) can achieve this. It takes time to pressurise the hose and sound the air horn. I've still not got around to fitting the supplementary air horn to my car (although the Mondeo standard horn is quite good and not too aggressive)The feeble comedic peep from my Lotus (somewhat at odds with the car) usually brings about a smile rather than any negative reaction. I agree it could do with being louder in an emergency though MC Bodge!
Maybe optional horns? Standard loud, dual tone one for emergency use and a separate button for a considered 'pip pip, I'm here' type signal...
Wired mine with a switch marked T/C so that I can select which are operative.
T=town C=country - the air horns are well OTT in town centres and residential areas
The horn is used much more readily in Asia for alerting people to your presence and no one takes offence at all. In some countries it is excessive; Vietnam for example, where you can hear constant horn use on any semi busy road. It could certainly help motorcycles in this country who often feel unsure whether someone is going to pull out of a junction in front of them
Lozw86 said:
The horn is used much more readily in Asia for alerting people to your presence and no one takes offence at all. In some countries it is excessive; Vietnam for example, where you can hear constant horn use on any semi busy road. It could certainly help motorcycles in this country who often feel unsure whether someone is going to pull out of a junction in front of them
A fairly common sign on trucks/buses in India & Sri Lanka is along the lines of, "Please use horn to let me know you're overtaking". Which seems entirely appropriate and what it should be here. If I'm overtaking a bunch of cars on our local roads (after they've shown no signs of overtaking themselves), I'll give a polite toot after I've pulled out but before I accelerate, for the specified reasons - not just because they're probably not paying attention to their mirrors, even if they're going to overtake at the last minute themselves but because most people have no concept of how quickly a fast car or bike can close a gap. Reactions are probably in the range of a) no visible response:80% (which is fine) b) trying to be helpful (actually not) by moving left and/or braking: 10% c) closing the gap to the vehicle in front to try and block me: 5% d) immediately swerving in front of me: 2% e) total fking psychosis, spending the next ten miles trying to catch and kill me: <1%. So I've always got to allow for all but the last case by ensuring that there's always a Plan B/C and that my delta-V always gives me time to back out when (d) happens. In the last case, all I can hope for is that I'm riding or driving with a police examiner (which has happened, to deep joy).It doesn't matter what your intentions are or how friendly you think a toot is or what happens in other parts of the world, here, in this country, on these roads, the horn is seen as a sign of aggression by the majority of people.
You can believe the majority of people are wrong because they react badly... Or you can accept that's the culture on these roads and adapt your driving style accordingly however frustrating you may feel that is.
You can believe the majority of people are wrong because they react badly... Or you can accept that's the culture on these roads and adapt your driving style accordingly however frustrating you may feel that is.
Like most people in the UK I use the horn very seldom. Of the last two occasions that I recall, I suspect neither fits within the usage prescribed by the Highway Code. The first was to draw the attention of the driver in front to the fact that the lights had changed to green some time ago and it would be helpful if he now stopped looking down at whatever he was doing and joined the general consensus that forward motion would be a good idea!
The second occasion was this morning when a driver very deliberately - and while looking straight at me - pulled out across my path from a side road, forcing me to brake hard (from about 35mph) and to steer left to avoid him. Not a simple mistake - he was cynically forcing his way out rather than waiting for a suitable gap in the traffic. (It's a fairly busy junction in a 40mph zone but you never have to wait more than a few seconds to get out.) I freely admit that using the horn in that situation was no more than me venting my annoyance but it did make me feel slightly better that I'd expressed my opinion on his manners!
I do agree, however, that I should be using the horn more often as a warning of my presence and will be working on it. Interestingly, my wife uses the horn more than I do when approaching blind bends on country lanes. I feel myself cringing which objectively is very odd. On this one at least, she's right and I'm wrong (she doesn't read these posts...)
The second occasion was this morning when a driver very deliberately - and while looking straight at me - pulled out across my path from a side road, forcing me to brake hard (from about 35mph) and to steer left to avoid him. Not a simple mistake - he was cynically forcing his way out rather than waiting for a suitable gap in the traffic. (It's a fairly busy junction in a 40mph zone but you never have to wait more than a few seconds to get out.) I freely admit that using the horn in that situation was no more than me venting my annoyance but it did make me feel slightly better that I'd expressed my opinion on his manners!
I do agree, however, that I should be using the horn more often as a warning of my presence and will be working on it. Interestingly, my wife uses the horn more than I do when approaching blind bends on country lanes. I feel myself cringing which objectively is very odd. On this one at least, she's right and I'm wrong (she doesn't read these posts...)
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