Hooting as you go round corners - outside our house

Isn't there a village actually called Dangerous Corner? I've driven through it, somewhere near Appley Bridge in Lancashire.

I beep going around blind bends, as do most people I know here, it’s to warn oncoming traffic I’m there. I don’t drive fast though, driving fast is obviously an issue on blind bends.

I recall learning to drive. There were a fair amount of country lanes near the test centre. I was always taught that on a blind corner, when there was daylight, to use the horn. These were lanes used for driving tests. A big part of that is showing that you follow the rules.

This. I can't believe one third of voters don't know that.

I'm not sure there is such a direct relationship in the code. Rule 112 says nothing about blind corners (or any other layouts except built-up areas). Rule 146 covers blind bends and says be prepared and adjust your speed. Rule 154 covers country roads and says reduce speed approaching bends, and be able to stop in the distance you can see. 125 and 126 reiterate this in general terms for all roads, and 144 blanket-forbids driving dangerously. Regarding horses, rule 214 says do not scare animals by sounding your horn when passing them.

Two vehicles approaching a blind bend from opposite directions and following the rules would not pose any risk. If you assume another vehicle might be approaching and not obeying the rules, rule 147 requires you to be patient and understanding. If you can avoid danger by slowing down, that is the probably the correct action. However, if they still pose a danger to you, you also need to warn them of your presence. This brings 112 back into play.

It doesn't seem that the code expects dangerous driving to be routine, though it does allow for the horn to be used in protection from it. However, my experience of UK country roads is that dangerous driving is indeed routine. While I don't think the horn is seen as routinely appropriate at a blind bend by the code, it shouldn't be surprised at it being used as such.

my dad always did, and he grew up on those country lanes. It’s pretty scary when there’s a blind bend.

I came here to say this…

Same here. For all of you saying its good driving, in my experience these drivers use it as an excuse to not slow down for these corners. They just beep and go round as fast as they can because of course everyone heard them coming and got out of their way didn't they?!

In Hanoi people seem to hoot constantly though. They seem to just do it when driving along. The roads were noisy chaos!!!

I slow down and sound the horn briefly on blind bends. That’s what my (excellent) driving instructor taught me to do many moons ago.

YANBU to find it annoying but YABU to criticise drivers for this assuming they slow down too.

I said “sound the horn”. Is that ok?

Hang on, do you all actually refer to it as "hooting" the horn? Not beeping? That's fucking hilarious.

You are all being unreasonable for using childish words such as "toot", "hoot", and "beep"!

It's called sounding your horn! 😂 I remember an altercation on the road where one bloke came up to me red faced and angry telling me that I had "no right to sit there bibbing" at him. Bloody bibbing! FFS. As a result I seem to now have a complex over using the wrong word. In my mind, it now falls into the same camp as "holibobs" 😖

Other than that, yeah it's completely legal, normal and good practice when approaching blind bends on country roads.

You realise that slowing down to travel around the corner and honking your horn to make anyone fast approaching on the other side (or straddling two lanes) aware of your presence are not mutually exclusive? 🙄
I specifically didn't buy a house over a single track blind bridge because no matter how slow you go over it, you can't see oncoming traffic.
Save your energy to campaign to improve the road instead of calling people "dim" and "fools" for trying to drive safely then pretending it's because you care about horses.

Today I learned that “hooting” isn’t just what owls do and there is more than one word for beeping.

i genuinely believed (until I read the Highway Code comments) that people were driving, cycling and riding round your corner shouting “twit twoo”.

It's to prevent oncoming drivers from ploughing in to you. I sometimes cross a small bridge with a blind corner and it's common for some stupid boy racer or bmw driver to come tearing through without using their brain. My horn lets them know I'm crossing the bridge and can't see them.

No.

Everyone drives as if they are always going to encounter a worst- case- scenario round that blind bend. No need to hoot.

I live in a village of nearly 2000 souls that can only be reached by single track lanes, with ample blind bends. Nobody hoots- it would be hellish if they did, there'd be constant hooting all day long! Nearly everybody drives defensively (teenage boys aside 🙄).

We do not have "a stream of ambulances" coming. There have been accidents, but they usually seem to occur after dark, which leads one to assume that it's factors other than blind bend visibility causing them 🤔. The main roads are far more deadly.

YANBU. I'm in the same situation and it drives me wild. There's no need to drive at full speed round blind bends blaring your horn. It's so bloody arrogant too - "OUT OF MY WAY, I'M COMING THROUGH". Just slow down ffs.

There has been an exponential increase in selfish, entitled driving over the last few years. Don't get me started on the small dicked little scrotes who drive round town with huge backfiring exhausts, upsetting people on purpose. Ditto motorcyclists.

Just because you slow down approaching a bend on a narrow country road doesn't mean the other person will, so if you toot they'll hopefully have time to slam the brakes on before they hit you. My parents live on a road like this and lots of people beep there. I can't imagine people not beeping on the very small chance there might possibly be a horse around the corner. Obviously at night you don't need to beep because they'll see your lights.

@boxcutter12 I think you've lost all objectivity on this as you find it so annoying. There will be fewer hours of hooting as the nights draw in, as driver can see the headlights coming.

I understand the nuisance for the OP. I also understand why people do it.

Just remember 99% of Range Rover drivers don't need one, and 25% of people with a licence are unfit to hold one for various reasons.

The reason for hooting is the oncoming driver that may not be driving at an appropriate speed to stop, not so you can tear round the corner yourself. 😂

That refers to passing horses, not approaching blind corners in general.