When It’s Illegal to Honk Your Horn

To honk or not to honk, that is the question that could affect your wallet.

Do you take advantage of your horn when that annoying driver in front of you just sits there for several seconds after the light turns green? I usually do the quick and friendly "tap-tap" on my horn, but the distracted driver sometimes deserves a semi-long honk when the light tap doesn't work.

While the distracted driver who should be moving and isn't can be a safety issue, it all depends on the time and place.

A perfect example is when a driver stops instead of yielding at a roundabout/rotary, causing an unnecessary backup. Police could write you up because it's illegal to honk in that situation.

According to The Sun website, it's all about law enforcement discretion to a certain extent regarding when honking is necessary or not. That said, there are definitely legal instances where you can lay on your horn. Here's when we can and can't use our horns legally, according to the  Defensive Driving website,

When It's Okay to Honk

1. To alert a driver who is about to hit you
2. To alert a pedestrian that they are in danger
3. To alert another car at a traffic signal

When It's Not Okay to Honk

1. To grab someone's attention to say hello
2. To express anger or annoyance
3. For fun

Basically, if someone starts to cut you off or weave into your lane, you can honk.

If a pedestrian starts to walk in front of your car or appears they're going to, you can honk.

If the action of a driver is unsafe, you can honk.

The keyword is safety when it comes to honking your horn. Unless it's an emergency or a safety issue that could cause a minor or major accident, leave your horn alone.

I should have some fines at this point, even with my friendly honk-honk, I guess. You, too?