The Etiquette of Honking

Have you ever been at the traffic light stop in Lagos, Nigeria and on sight of the amber light, the 15th vehicle in the roll honks endlessly or the oil tanker almost 10 meters away from your car honks to get you off the road in advance? Of course, This is a Yes for many Lagosians. Everyone seems to be in a hurry.

But have you ever wondered why the manufacturers designed the horns? And how it should be used? 

I sometimes wish, there was a daily limit on using theses horns, or perhaps daily charges for overuse, or even maybe the horns came with operation manuals.
Anyway, since none of my wishes are horses. Let’s have an overview of when it is appropriate to use your horn and vice versa.

Generally, you should only honk the horn when reasonably necessary to insure safe driving. For example, if your brakes have gone out, honk to alert other drivers.

Use your horn to promote safe driving

There are times when it is acceptable to use your horn, without any impending treat of crash. Keep in mind that the difference between a quick beep and a detestable beep is incomparable. Some drivers especially the commercial buses “Danfos” permanently lay their hands on their horns, leaving it on autorun, this act is totally unacceptable and doesn’t portray civility.

For example, if the driver in front of you at a red light is not paying attention when the light changes to green, wait at least 4 seconds and then give a light, quick tap on the horn “beep”.

If another driver is driving too close to the lane line or almost hits you, it is appropriate to give a quick “beep” to let them know that they made a driving error and need to be more cautious. A quick honk of the horn can mean “Watch what you’re doing!”

Don’t use your horn to vent frustration

Your horn is not a way for you to tell another driver you don’t like their driving. Never lay on your horn out of frustration with another driver.

Many instances of road rage begin with aggressive horn honking. You never know another driver’s state of mind, the kind of day they’re having, or how they’ll react to your blaring horn. Your safety is the top priority, so be calm when driving. If you must honk your horn at someone, do it lightly. Also, do not yell, employ mouth words, or use hand gestures to show your anger.

Don’t Honk at Place of Worships or Hospitals

As much as possible, it is not advisable to honk at worships centres or hospitals, horns cause distractions, and a person on life support could be transited to further glory as your horn can startle such patients.

Don’t use your horn to ask “What’s Happening?”

Do not honk at your friends because this could alarm other drivers. You may startle another driver into slamming on their brakes, aborting their turn, or performing some other dangerous manoeuvre. Your horn is not a way to say “Hey” as you drive past your friends.

No, your horn cannot magically clear a traffic jam

If you’re stuck in a traffic jam, don’t honk. It isn’t going to make the situation any better; in fact, it will make it worse for everyone around you by making them tensed. Unless you are in a parade or stuck in a parking garage after the Super Eagles just won the world cup, you should never lay on your horn in traffic.

Note, also that in some cities, honking your horn between certain hours is against the law.

The bottom line is to refrain from immediately reacting to a driver’s “wrong” move by laying on your horn or even giving a quick beep. People make mistakes and sometimes you need to just let it go rather than using your horn to vent. The simple rule: only use your horn when necessary.