USE AND ABUSE OF HORNS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 86, 10 April 1924, Page 15

USE AND ABUSE OF HORNS

;lo Hhe comparatively inexperienced driver it may seem superfluous to devote an article to the operating of such a 1 simple piece of mechanism as is the horn, says a writer in "The Motor" y but_ on the correct use of tho warning device the safety of the - driver and other road users very often depends. You may often see an unusually cautious driver punctuate his progress along the broad highway with a succession of hoots. Indeed, he will sound his horn on tho slightest, and very often without the slightest, provocation. • Such unnecessary hooting is often aggravating to tho general public and other road users, and tends in time to become disregarded by pedestrians, so that sounding the horn has no more effect than did the cries of -"Wolf! Wolf!" uttered by the little boy in the fable. ;To the non-motorist sounding the horn 'would appear to be an' urgent necessity < regardless of road conditions, and this is certainly the view generally held by the police, as almost the first question they ask after an accident is: "Did you sound your horn?" ■/ At cross-roads and sharp corners it is, of course, always desirable to sound the horn, in order that you may give warning of your approach 'tq anybody that might possibly be coming towards you from some quarter which you could not efficiently observe. But as regards hooting at all pedestrians on the road, a great deal of discretion must always be used. WHEN NOT TO GIVE WARNING. For instance, if some little way ahead you see a pedestrian step off the kerb, you would naturally sound your horn to inform him that you are coming, in order that he may pause'a moment before crossing the road, or, alternatively, to keep his eyes upon you while he does cross the road. On the other hand, supposing somebody suddenly dashes off the kerb without the least warning just in front of you, it may prove the height of folly to blow your horn while the : person is, say, on a level with the radiator. He will probably pause to see where the sound comes from, and in that fatal moment may get run down. 'If tho man, woman, or child should have the sense to run straight on, then, indeed, there would bo no harm in. sounding the horn, but. by steering slightly behind them it is possible to getby without doing anything more serious than giving them a start, whereas were the hooter sounded they might turn found and attempt to run back—a manoeuvre which it would obviously be impossible to execute in the time' available. VARYING THE TONE. ' The loudness of the hooter ought to be varied, if possible, and in this connec: tion it is .noteworthy that noisy Klaxons are not allowed to be used in any French towns, although full use Tnay bo made of, them on. open country roads. ■ Therefore, on all French cars a bulb horn is necessary for traversing cities, although it is true that'the Jaw allows for a, very subdued-lone electric horn of tho buzzer .jjpc, aud some y_£ (.he two note qkclrii:

horns now on the market fulfil the requirements of the regulations. Nevertheless, the "gendarme generally, has the final say in the matter of whether an electric horn -is sufficiently subdued in note to comp-csrc with a good bulb horn. j A' ferocious screech from a Klaxbn j may give some old lady heart failure,' while, on the othsr hand, it is the only | possible way to awaken sleeping carter. Generally speaking, the noisy | Klaxon is a ■ rather offensive instrument for warning pedestrians, and should be reserved for. informing traffic preceding I you that-you wish to overtake it. C The horn should always be kept in working order. Electric i warning- devices are, perhaps, the most popular, and these are,* on the whole, very reliable.. It sometimes happens,, however, that they will riot function when the button is depressed, although if pressure is kept applied to ■■ button the horn may work when a bumpy stretch of road is.traversed. This is often due, in the case of motor-driven horns, to the commutator being dirty and coming to rest with the 'brushes on a bad.place. Alternatively, the toothed Wheel which makes contact with the stud on the diaphragm m-iy become stuck ai/one point. It should be remembered also that a bulb horn will seldom, work- if the bulb be squeezed very suddenly; either it will make no sound at all or will emit a wheezy groan with no carrying power. Remember, therefore, that even in an emergency the bulb must be squeezed firmly but steadily, with no moire haste .than you would use at any other time. Correctly handling a bulb horn is generally a matter of practice, and one soon gets used to it.