It’s one of the most common mistakes made on the street, but if you get caught, you’ll expect huge fines. Is it true that you can never honk or are there exceptions? Let’s find out together what the Highway Code says about this: if you know the law, you will never get a fine in your life.
Just wander around the street for a few minutes to realize that there is a device that motorists, especially in larger cities, tend to abuse. Let’s talk about acoustic signaling devicewhich we all know more commonly by the name of horn.
In fact, who has never used the horn for reasons other than those for which it was intended? Perhaps to attract the attention of a friend who passes by on the street, or even to complain to another motorist, starting real wars to the sound of the horn.
If this has happened to you too, then you need to know that if you didn’t get a fine it’s just a matter of luck. In fact, many have already been sanctioned. But what does the Highway Code say about this?
Don’t honk your horn, otherwise you risk huge fines
The one to deal with the matter is article 156 of the Highway Code, which deals with establishing the rules regarding acoustic signaling devices. They must be used sparingly, only for road safety reasons, and in any case for a few seconds. Mainly, it should be used to avoid accidents.
Its use is permitted only outside the inhabited centers, while inside them they must only be used in cases of real danger. At night, better to replace it with light signalsor the high beams.
Fines for honking without a valid reason
As we were saying, the Highway Code is very strict. This because abusing horns only means creating confusion and this can also result in accidents or worse. It is then a question of respecting the sleep of others, especially at night, and to avoid noise pollution, which our cities unfortunately suffer from.
If you break Article 156, you risk a fine ranging from one minimum of 41 euros but it can reach, in the worst cases, i 168 euros.
