MR

I found an article about the alleged need for the car horn that talked about how it has little to no impact in preventing road disasters and possibly even does more harm than good.

I'm bored to tears waiting to hear if I can leave early, so on the matter of car horns, what say you?

(personally, I just use it to say, "Hey! You're a douchebag!")


http://www.slate.com/id/2204988?y=1


Jeff Muttart, a traffic-accident reconstructionist, has pored over hundreds of surveillance videos of real-life car crashes and near-crashes. In 2005, he concluded that emergency horn use is not associated with decreased accident involvement. He found that drivers never steered and honked at the same time, and usually they didn't honk at all. About half of emergency honks were meant to chastise and came only after the danger was over. The other half were just preludes to a crash. "It really didn't serve any purpose at all. It was just, Hey, by the way, I'm going to hit you."

Also: We stink at honking. A 2001 survey for the U.K. Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators shows that most people take two to three times as long to honk as they do to brake or steer. Professional drivers, like cabbies, are a bit quicker—they practice. (Now that automakers are getting over the whole tiny-horn-buttons craze, honk times may improve.)

I know for a fact that I have avoided having people hit me by honking. I've had several instances where someone started to merge into me and, by honking, avoided having them hit me.

conversationpc wrote:I know for a fact that I have avoided having people hit me by honking. I've had several instances where someone started to merge into me and, by honking, avoided having them hit me.

Same here!!!
Once a lady was driving in the passing lane, talking on the cell phone, looking at a map (or newspaper) and drinking coffee. If that wasn't bad enough she was just barely doing the speed limit, pacing the car in the right lane, which was causing people to have to swirve in out of lanes to get around her. Me about 15 cars back, and about the 10 mimutes to get to her, when I was beside her, I laid in to my horn, which caused her coffee and phone to go flying, and caused her to swerve off the road and stop. (I am not one to do this), but I was glad she went off the road (without being hurt) and spilled her coffee, and maybe added to her stain on her seat with a stain in her pants.

But I was gald I had a horn (That doesn't sound right )

Abitaman wrote:

conversationpc wrote:I know for a fact that I have avoided having people hit me by honking. I've had several instances where someone started to merge into me and, by honking, avoided having them hit me.

Same here!!!
Once a lady was driving in the passing lane, talking on the cell phone, looking at a map (or newspaper) and drinking coffee. If that wasn't bad enough she was just barely doing the speed limit, pacing the car in the right lane, which was causing people to have to swirve in out of lanes to get around her. Me about 15 cars back, and about the 10 mimutes to get to her, when I was beside her, I laid in to my horn, which caused her coffee and phone to go flying, and caused her to swerve off the road and stop. (I am not one to do this), but I was glad she went off the road (without being hurt) and spilled her coffee, and maybe added to her stain on her seat with a stain in her pants.

But I was gald I had a horn (That doesn't sound right )

I am glad she was not hurt.But she was crazy to be doing all that.

Honking in L.A. means, please follow me home and beat me with a tire iron when I foolishly step out of my car to confront you.

Flashing your headlights in L.A. means, please do a Uturn and drive up along side me and blow my head off, then return to your gang and complete the initiation process by having five cholos beat you down without you crying or making a sound.

I don't honk unless I'm at home and I see someone I know.
I know it's commonplace in the city, but I just think it's rude in most cases. People seem to use it more to be jerkholes than helpful.

Rhiannon wrote:I don't honk unless I'm at home and I see someone I know.
I know it's commonplace in the city, but I just think it's rude in most cases. People seem to use it more to be jerkholes than helpful.

I honk when someone willfully or otherwise cuts me off or almost runs into me.

I almost always use my horn alert someone else to their massive douchebaggery...

strangegrey wrote:I almost always use my horn alert someone else to their massive douchebaggery...

You are a man after my own heart.

Rhiannon wrote:People seem to use it more to be jerkholes than helpful.

I consider informing other people that they've just done something very stupid and/or very dangerous to be helpful. Clearly they didn't already know it was stupid or dangerous or else they wouldn't have done it. Also, alerting them that they are a huge dickbag is also a service I provide. I'm very helpful.

conversationpc wrote:

strangegrey wrote:I almost always use my horn alert someone else to their massive douchebaggery...

You are a man after my own heart.

Do I smell a brohug?

Rhiannon wrote:

conversationpc wrote:

strangegrey wrote:I almost always use my horn alert someone else to their massive douchebaggery...

You are a man after my own heart.

Do I smell a brohug?

Ummm...NO.

bluejeangirl76 wrote:

Rhiannon wrote:People seem to use it more to be jerkholes than helpful.

I consider informing other people that they've just done something very stupid and/or very dangerous to be helpful. Clearly they didn't already know it was stupid or dangerous or else they wouldn't have done it. Also, alerting them that they are a huge dickbag is also a service I provide. I'm very helpful.

This thread blows.

Rick wrote:This thread blows.

honk your horn if you feel that way...

I only honk when Im horney. I need a new horn in my truck

Rick wrote:This thread blows.

Better than the Porn Perry thread that on e blows

You can be ticketed for using your horn unnecessarily. I've found that it's been more than useful in my years of driving. especially in parking lots.

whirlwind wrote:You can be ticketed for using your horn unnecessarily. I've found that it's been more than useful in my years of driving. especially in parking lots.

I use mine mostly for saying HI to people I know!!!!

Michigan Girl wrote:

whirlwind wrote:You can be ticketed for using your horn unnecessarily. I've found that it's been more than useful in my years of driving. especially in parking lots.

I use mine mostly for saying HI to people I know!!!!

I do that also as it's just being polite.

Back in my CB days, I used to have a PA in my car as well. I would honk the horn and usually follow it up with something along the lines of "Move that piece of shit before I ram you into a ditch"...or something equally colorful.

strangegrey wrote:Back in my CB days, I used to have a PA in my car as well. I would honk the horn and usually follow it up with something along the lines of "Move that piece of shit before I ram you into a ditch"...or something equally colorful.

conversationpc wrote:I know for a fact that I have avoided having people hit me by honking. I've had several instances where someone started to merge into me and, by honking, avoided having them hit me.

Agreed, it kept people who would have otherwise not seen me, be aware that I was there, and avoided a crash.

stevew2 wrote:

Rick wrote:This thread blows.

Better than the Porn Perry thread that on e blows

Only because you are a guy. I found the Perry thread quite nice! LOL! Aw SteveW2 let us ladies have a little fun too. Makes us more pleasent to be around!