ROAD SAFETY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXII, Issue 16, 28 February 1941, Page 1

ROAD SAFETY

PROPER USE OF HORN

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION'S

MESSAGE

"Obviously there are very many motorists who are quite unaware of the real purpose of the warning device which they seem to regard as an indispensable factor in driving," says the latest road safety message of the Automobile Association, Canterbury, Inc.

"It is quite common to h;ear motorists honking hard as a habit at every intersection they come to, and one may follow the progress of a vehicle block after block, particularly at night time, as the vehicle continues oh its way. Much of this honking is born of ingrained habit, much of it is considered inseparable from motoring. The; warning device is one of the most abused components of a motor-car, as without any doubt, as traffic control authorities not only in New Zealand, but overseas, realise,, the greater part of the racket made by horn-sounding is entirely unnecessary.

"When more; motorists come to understand that the sounding of a horn confers no rights on the driver at intersections or elsewhere; that horn-sounding cannot be used safely as a mask for speed; that whether the horn is sounded or not the motorist must still shoulder his responsibility for driving at a safe speed in the circumstances, then will follow a more sensible approach to the principles of road safety with less noise, too, incidentally.

"It is a primary road-driving duty of the driver to keep a proper lookout at all times, and it is a wise motorist who relies on sight rather than sound. The mere sounding of a horn when one is approaching an intersection does not relieve the driver of stopping, if necessary, for crossing or opposing traffic, then surely it is only commonsense to be travelling at a speed sufficient for an emergency stop in any case without sounding the 'horn beforehand. To rely on the warning device to clear the way is bad procedure. It is foolish, really, when you consider the position which arises when two horn-sounding addicts arrive at an intersection simultaneously. Both have sounded the horn, but both must be guided by sight, signals, and the regulations governing further safe progress. Horn-sounding has been just a waste of effort. '

"The real purpose of -the motorcar horn is to warn traffic of various kinds in an emergency. For instance, while there is no sense in frightening the life out of a pedestrian by the raucous use of a motor-horn, its reasonable use in plenty of time can be a thoughtful warning. And there are not a few traffic situations where the emergency factor develops, and a judiciously sounded warning is safe and necessary. The safe driver is known by his sensible, considerate, watchful driving, and not by his noisy progress."