ANGRY drivers who honk their horn in traffic when they see red with road rage could be slapped with a steep £1,000 fine.
A car’s horn is designed to alert or warn another driver of your presence, not for aggressive purposes.
Under the Highway Code, rule 112 states: “The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence.
“Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn while stationary on the road when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.00am, except when another road user poses a danger.”
Police can issue drivers with a fine for illegal use of a car’s horn which in most cases means a fixed penalty notice of £30.
However, should a driver challenge the decision through the courts, and they lose, they could be faced with the prospect of being slapped with a fine of up to £1,000.
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Councils, using noise pollution laws, can also take action against the use of car horns being used illegally.
A council can get in touch with anyone creating excessive noise pollution and breaking the law, which includes the use of car horns.
If there is no change and the noise continues then the council can issue an abatement notice.
If that isn’t followed, then the culprit can be issued with a maximum fine of £5,000 on domestic premises and £20,000 on commercial premises.
Research carried out in 2018 revealed that only 38 per cent of drivers were aware about the rules covering horn use.
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Philip Ward, the chief executive of Warranty Direct, speaking at the time, urged drivers to refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road.
He said: “Our latest survey reveals there is a strong need for UK drivers to brush up on their knowledge of driving laws.
“The results suggest many mistakes made could be down to not knowing the appropriate laws, which can be easily rectified.
“We recommend any unsure drivers to re-read a copy of the Highway Code to avoid causing any dangerous situations when out on the road.”
In another little-known rules of the road, drivers should only flash their headlights to let other road users know that they are there and shouldn’t be used to intimidate others or to be used to convey any other message.
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The Highway Code warns drivers: “Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed.
“Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.”
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