stationary at traffic lights

[dorisday]

I heard a story the other day of a motorist being fined for pipping his horn while stationary at traffic lights because the driver infront did not move off when the lights changed. Unfortunately the car in front was an unmarked police car with two police officers inside. I don't know what the driver was fined for. Can anyone explain a bit further.

[Cockney_si]

Not heard of this one but once I was tooting a car to speed up in front of me who didn't have darn clue what he was doing.The police were doing a traffic check at the time and pulled me over, when asked if it was me that tooted my horn I simply said nothing.

Thought of it as my right to remain silent as it were, the policeman asked me several times and I still didn't say anything.

I got a producer later as a standard police procedure but nothing was wrong with my car anyhow.

I was once pulled over for driving over a mini roundabout, I argued the toss and got away with it.  It was 12 midnight what was the point.

[Shire]

I think there are laws about not sounding your horn in a  built-up area after a certain time of night, so if it was at night, then maybe that's why the person was fined.

Cockney_si - why on earth did you think that tooting your horn at the other driver would make him speed up?  If it was an inexperienced or nervous driver, all you probably did was get them even more flustered and make the situation worse!

[ursula62]

It is an offence to sound your horn between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.00am.

However, in the highway code it states that your horn is to be used only to advise other road users of your presence, e.g. when going round a blind bend, over a hump back bridge etc.

To beep at someone in front of you in a traffic queue is not using the horn in the manner allowed in the highway code and therefore the fuzz were right to book him.  

[Cockney_si]

The driver I was behind was a flat-capped doddering old fool (***I understand that some elderly motorists can be slow and the majority are fairly good drivers but this one was an exception*** )   that had pulled onto a roundabout in front of another car without looking then left the roundabout without signaling.  Once that was over he veered all over the place and slowed right down to about 15mph.

Also as soon as the police signalled for me to to pull over the car roared away leaving me to it.  Typical.

[Cockney_si]

Sounding your horn in the highway code:

Rule 92: The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence.

I suppose the motorist could have been booked.  However if they were appraoching the traffice lights and they had been on green for some time until they arrived behind the car still waiting at the lights the horn approach could have been a valid reason I guess.

[depressedmgl]

when you think about it, the horn on a car has little use.  No one ever uses it to avoid an accident, there is never enough time.  It gets used to vent anger and to allow idle taxi drivers to sit outside a pub and inform his customers of his arrival.

[Tim Baxter]

You're quite right, the horn shouldn't be used whilst stationary.  However, what are you to do if the driver in front has fallen asleep?  (I've actually had this happen in the wee small hours!?!)  I suppose you should put your hazards on, walk up to the driver and gently wake him.  Gently in case you get litigated!  Mind you would a lady in the wee small hours be safe getting out of her car?  Hmmm, what should you do?

[Grunty]

Cockney_si is right.  But there is one exception - if you use your horn while stationary to avoid an accident.  For example if the driver in front is too lazy to put the handbrake on and the car is rolling back towards you.