to think some people should just accept they are in the wrong when they are beeped at?

[LullabyUnderStars]

Driving home when a large vehicle was indicating to turn left and therefore had blocked my view of a side road.

A car pulled out of the side road (in front of the standstill lorry so no problem there) however I could not see him and he pulled out straight in front of me and I had to slam my brakes on and I beeped him and got a load of abuse thrown back at me - shouting, sticking up the middle finger etc.

I was doing the speed limit, it was my right of way seeing as he was pulling out of a side street and the lorry had obviously obstructed his view too.

I don't think the UK is a very "horn happy" country and sometimes if you get beeped you should just accept that you were in the wrong and not hurl abuse at someone when your actions could have potentially had dangerous consequences?

IMO, YANBU. He pulled out, when he clearly couldn't see properly and could have caused a serious accident. He should have been the one exercising caution when it was a 40mph zone and there is a high chance cars are going to be doing that speed.

You were perfectly justified to use your horn. The Highway Code says that it is to be used when you are moving and you need to warn others of your presence. Unless I've missed something, that is what you were doing?

The horn should only be used to warn someone for example someone backing fast towards you, the car in front waiting starts to go back, country road and a blind corner etc

You were perfectly justified to use your horn. The Highway Code says that it is to be used when you are moving and you need to warn others of your presence. Unless I've missed something, that is what you were doing?

That's what I was doing

It just got very awkward as 2 minutes later I was behind him at the traffic lights with him shouting further abuse in the mirror ....

Here lies the body of Charlie Wray
Who died asserting his right of way
He was right - dead right - as he drove along
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong!

The horn should only be used to warn someone for example someone backing fast towards you, the car in front waiting starts to go back, country road and a blind corner etc

Think you might need to read the highway code. The horn is to warn other road users of your presence.

Mind you I would have beeped him to warn him I was there (and been abit scared and crossed too). He gave you the finger as he was shocked and cross with himself and didn't want to lose face. My sister always smiles if this sort of thing happens and says he's making up for a lack of something.

Generally blokes don't like being honked at by women in my experience.

Lullaby. I didn't finish what I was writing as I lost internet access and for reason it posted. Happy Easter x

Generally speaking I think honking at other drivers is unnecessary and a bit wanky. If you're in mortal danger fair enough but most drivers know when they've ballsed up and don't need it pointing out.

I got beeped at yesterday and gave them the finger.

Second time ever towing and pulled into driveway of caravan site to find they'd stupidly split the drive into two with a massive plant pot which you couldn't see when you first started turning.

I admit I misjudged it with my car nose in a hedge and the side of the caravan touching the plant pots and the end of the caravan still in the road. I was close to crying. Cars on the road stopped. I carefully and safely had to back up slightly and realign. Took maybe 3 mins max, possibly less.

One of the cars was beeping nearly the entire time. Not helpful.

The worst beepers are the ones that do it the nanosecond the lights change to amber and you haven't moved yet.

The worst beepers are the ones that do it the nanosecond the lights change to amber and you haven't moved yet.

We don't have amber here, what does amber mean? We have red, yellow, and green.

OP, if the truck was blocking the side road view, how far would the other driver had to have pulled out past the truck in order to see the main road? In my imagination, had the other driver pulled out far enough to see past the truck, he would have been in the road, anyway, is that how it was?

I guess it's your yellow then steff.

"I don't think the UK is a very "horn happy" country"

I agree OP! I like to beep beep but I do it with a good attitude, similar to the Europeans. The British take it so personally.

I guess it's your yellow then steff.

Oh, well, here if the light has turned yellow and you haven't moved yet, you've sat through an entire green light, and it's about to turn red again. In that case, I'm definitely honking my horn.

Absolutely Sparkling.

A bloke beeped at my son yesterday (he's a learner) when he was turning right at the traffic lights. There was a artic lorry in front of him making the turn and ds held his position because he couldn't actually see if the lights were still green.

Bloke behind us honking away. Twat.

I think too many people use the horn to mean "Fuck you!", so when it's used correctly to mean "I'm here!", most people just hear " Fuck you!" and react accordingly.

I was once stuck at a roundabout for over half an hour, waiting for a gap in traffic big enough for me to pull out safely. As I was driving a very old car with a small engine and not much acceleration, I needed a bigger gap than most drivers would. Every time the man in the van behind me thought I should be pulling out, he beeped at me. When I hear a beep, my instinct is to put my foot on the brake to give me time to have a look to see what's happening - as a result, every time he beeped, I missed the gap I was going to pull out into and had to wait for the next one. He didn't figure out it was him causing me to hesitate, though.

That sounds different Steff Amber is the pre-green light as in be ready IYKWIM.
Are you in the US? Do they still have that junction thing where first one there has right of way?

Oh, yes we don't have "pre-green" here. It changes from red to green, then green to yellow, and yellow to red. Yellow indicates it about to turn red again, and you are supposed to slow down, although most people take it to mean "floor it to get through the light before it turns red."

At a stop sign or flashing red light, the first person to stop has the right of way. Unless you're at an intersection where one direction has flashing yellow lights and the other has flashing red. Then the flashing red acts as a stop sign, and the flashing yellow people can just go straight through. It's easier than it sounds.

He pulled out in front of you and you had to brake. Obviously he made a mistake and you had right of way.

Horns are to warn people you are there so they can do something to avoid an incident, if he had already pulled out what were you hoping your horn would achieve?

I haven't driven over there since 1990 steff. Stepped off the plane at LAX and got straight into a car. It was an education.

Erm, since when does beeping mean you are automatically right? What if he had beeped too? Would you have just accepted you were in the wrong?

Getting beeped at has no bearing on whether you were the one in the wrong. I have a road rage prone father who beeps at everyone and most of the time it is undeserved.

I'm quite confused by your 'logic'

If he was in front of you, you didnt beep to warn him you were there. He would have known you were there by that point.

I was waiting at a junction today to turn left, a big jeep beside me turning right, I couldn't see past it and got beeped for hesitating to go. I was far from pleased.

Would the beeper rather I risk a collision?

Yes probably Dont-their journey far more important than yours remember,