To sound my horn when I get cut up on the road?

[huddlelikepenguins]

Interested to hear when you feel it necessary to sound your horn, as I seem to be using it increasingly frequently

I once heard there are 3 levels of road rage:

1. Sound your horn when someone cuts you up and you sound your horn to prevent an accident or warn someone that it was dangerous
   

1. Sound your horn when you have to brake sharply (is scary and wastes petrol)
   

1. Sound your horn when you have to brake at all (slows you down and wastes petrol if you keep having to do this)
   

I'm definitely at level 2!

[mybelovedmonster]

Ah ok, thanks.

[SirChenjin]

Rules for cyclists (59-82) from the Gov.UK website states:

"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"

[mybelovedmonster]

I thought that cyclists should ride single file - isn't it in the highway code? Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

[alemci]

Beaver I do that as well if I venture into the Hertfordshire windy lanes as they are blind and at least then someone knows you are approaching.

[LottieJenkins]

whats4teamum That really made me giggle!! I could imagine Victor Meldrew doing that and Margaret hiding!!!

[SignoraStronza]

Last time I used mine was new years eve, driving through the town centre. Loads of drunken people ambling in and out of road and one in particular didn't notice me/wouldn't get out of the way. He was about to drop his trousers when I beeped him. He moved.

And yes, I know I should not have used it after 11pm in a town centre, but it was either that, or see his arse.

[yellowhousewithareddoor]

I'm a bit judgey of people who feel the need to beep their horn each time they are in the car. Its a bit 'king of the road'. I had a friend I really didn't like being in a car with when I was in London (is it more of a London thing? Lots of pent up stress?) who would swear at anyone not letting her do whatever she wanted on the road'

Now I'm out of London its a lot more civilized. I do remember large roundabouts on the way to Kew in particular being full of horn-beepers. Not particularly at me - more it seemed anyone who ever wished to change land or just exist in front of the drivers. You'd hear it all the time.

Out here in the sticks I've used my horn once after some kids were playing chicken.

[saintmerryweather]

Madratlady - you were bvu, cyclists are perfectly well within their rights to ride 2 abreast, and they do it to keep themselves safe from impatient drivers. same with horse riders

[FranKatzenjammer]

Nuhich, the OP means that being forced to brake wastes petrol. Use of the horn does not waste petrol as far as I know...

[Startail]

I lent on mine because a prat tried to over take me after I'd already started pulling out round a bus.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Beaverfeaver - that's an interesting point. I was almost involved in a head on collision with a tanker today with my 4 year old in the car. It was overtaking two cars and a bike on narrow, blind bend. He was completely in my lane and there really wasn't anywhere to go. Why on Earth he thought he could overtake I have no idea. He really did deserve the horn blasting but I was too busy braking and trying to steer as far over as I could to avoid him. Bastard - consider yourself blasted.

[IAmNotAMindReader]

I used my horn when sat kerbside in my car waiting for it to demist before setting off and some numpty reversed into me and started to push the car down the road. I thought the presence of lights and the fact that it had suddenly got an awful lot harder to reverse may have been enough of a clue though.

[Madratlady]

The last time I honked was at 2 cyclists riding next to each other in front of me and ignoring me driving behind them. Cyclists have to ride single file so they were BU!

I do honk if people do stupid or dangerous things as well.

[ComposHat]

What happened to airhorns in cars that played jaunty tunes? They were all the rage in Barried up Capris during the early 80s, along with louvred rear windows and his and hers sun strips.

[Beaverfeaver]

Oh and to add: the tile goes, if you have time to beep the horn when an incident occurs, the incident wasn't bad enough to warrant to use of the horn.

In actual critical situations, you would be far more likely to be just enough avoiding said incident rather than beeping

[Beaverfeaver]

I beep the horn if I am going around a blind corner on a road only big enough for 1 car, just in case there is another comeing around the bend.

Saved my metal a few times

What really grind my gears is when a passenger gets irate and beeps my horn for me!!!! That's my horn! I am in the driving seat!! If I want to beep I would have done!!! Aaarrrrggghhhh!!!!!!!

[NuhichNuhaymuh]

I'm not sure what my horn sounds like!!!

Please tell me how 2 & 3 horn soundings waste petrol, I feel like dunce as no one else has asked so everone knows thw obvious answer to the question

[FreudiansSlipper]

I have done it quite a few time by accident leaning on the wheel when stuck in traffic

I do often when driving in central London especially around hyde park corner english reserve goes out of the window

[Nerfmother]

I used mine again today. I live in one way system hell (maidstone) and there's one bit where the left hand lane has to go straight on after the lights and the right hand lane can go either middle or right. Every blardy time someone beeps me as they veer into me from the left. And they never realise they are in the wrong.
And breathe.

[tallulah]

We moved from a town in the SE where everyone uses their horn for everything, to a city in the SW where nobody local ever uses the horn. Driving is so much less stressful. I think I've only used it once in the 3+ years we've been here and that was at someone trying to change lanes alongside me who didn't seem to have noticed I was already there.

Mind you I do see red when the idiot in front won't keep up with the traffic and has to brake a mile before the traffic lights, so I'm not surprised you are having problems OP. I was taught to watch the car in front of the one you are behind, so you have time to react. When the one in front of you brakes too early and hangs back it is very difficult to see what is going on ahead. (and if everyone did it the poor sod 5th in the queue would never move).

[GoSuckEggs]

I beep almost every time i go out in the car

[whats4teamum]

My DH hit his horn at someone who pulled in front of him on a roundabout without a sideways glance. Unfortunately the horn stayed on for about a mile down a busy road with all and sundry turning to see who the arsehole with his hand stuck on the horn was. Mortified I slid into the footwell as DH kept smacking stupid horn to try and free it.

I love a good toot normally but that was so embarrassing.

[huddlelikepenguins]

My horn is definitely a girly BEEEEP. I wish it was more macho. Then I could compete with the horrid men who tailgate me and try and force me to go when it's not safe to do so. And that awful tart who flipped me the bird when she cut me up as I was coming from the right on a roundabout, and then proceeded to block the entire turn-off!

[ivykaty44]

I very rarely sound my horn and only ever to stop someone driving into me - or someone else.

[saintmerryweather]

I use my horn if i feel i need to. i was on a dual carriageway goi.g up a slight hill, overtaking another car, road in front completely clear and he decided to pull into my lane and started drifting over. i was just about level with him.so i put my foot down and blasted the horn at him (hand down flat for a good few seconds) but he kept coming. I ended up waay over the rumble strip while he still tried to get in my lane. Fucking idiot eventually got the hint and got back in his own feckinh lane