SOUNDING HORNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23085, 9 July 1938, Page 16

SOUNDING HORNS

NOISE IN STREETS RESTRICTION OF USE ACTION BY MINISTER &LL BY-LAWS DISALLOWED [BY TELEGRAPH —PIIESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Friday The Minister of Transport, the Hon. JR. Semple, to-day disallowed all bylaws throughout the Dominion relating to the sounding of warning devices on motor vehicles. More than 50 sots iof by-laws are affected. Ihe Ministoi stated that he proposed to deal with ptlie sounding of warning devices by 'regulation. Uniformity would be 'achieved and the usual excuse lor ' excessive horn blowing ' in built-up areas Tvould bo removed. "The Road Safety Council unanimously recommended me to disallow by- ' Jaws requiring the use ot a horn or other yarning device on approaching intersections in urban areas," said Mr. ! Semple. "The council expressed tho opinion that it was not conducive to icood driving to require that a horn hbe sounded at every crossroad, and, (indeed, the better driver was the man >ho did not use tho horn in these ■circumstances." . . , Mr Semple said that a special subcommittee of tho Road Safety Council tad made a very thorough investigation of tho question and obtained e\i'<lcnce from overseas. The recommendations of the sub-committee went much further than it was proposed to go at '{the present time.

Signal Robbed ol Value "As used by many drivers," said Mr. 'Eemple, "the horn is merely a declarartion- that the.v are on the road ancl "that all other drivers must look out. 'The louder the blast at an intersection ;cenerallv the faster the speed of tlio approach. Drive on your vision, not •cn the other fellow's hearing, should the rule." „ ~ , ~ , The Road Safety Council believed 'jthat the all too prevalent practice of "•(Unnecessary horn blowing went beyond "the creation of nerve-deranging noise, t 6 aid Mr. Semple. It robbed a true •emergency signal of much of its eftect, :jt encouraged speeding and reckless :approach to bends, corners and inter■eections, and it tended to the embarrassment and confusion of other users <pf roads and streets. Use Only in Emergency The council considered there were jfcases in the city where the blowing ■of a horn was Justifiable, to warn a pedestrian who was about to place himself in danger, or to warn a car ahead, tut generallv speaking tho safe driver •jn built-up areas should find no'need "whatever, apart from cases of emer;cency, to sound his horn. _ _ "On country roads the position may .•be different," said Mr. Scrapie. "There Tfche element of nuisance is not present, •and in remote districts the horn has ■its greatest justification. In cities, however, the value of the horn as a warning device is smothered bv a mass of and unintelligently applied ißOund. The council is definitely of the •opinion that if the use of the horn is 'restricted the wils gain immeasurably in effectiveness and safer "driving will result "