[am1m]

I hate the honking we hear constantly and I agree that most of us honk way more than required, mainly to express frustration, out of driving insecurity/fear, and sheer habit because we've been taught that it is necessary.

But can't see it becoming an optional accessory. It is certainly needed in some situations and rare as those might be, when you need it you really need it.

I love the idea of piping the sound back in to the car cabin! That way all those who deem constant honking 'a necessity for safety in India' surely won't mind hearing the sweet sounds of their 'life-saving' horns (especially those who have gone to great effort to install extra loud ones) at close quarters themselves.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Whether we like it or not, horn is one of the most used electrical fitting in India. We are a country where honking is deeply ingrained in the culture. Where else would you find this behind trucks:



No matter how sanely you drive, there is bound to be an idiot who would simply crash into you if it weren’t for your horn. I have started driving out on the open roads very recently, and horn usage seems to be a habit that automatically develops. One simply cannot do without honking in India. I once received quite an earful from a cyclist because I turned without honking (apparently, indicators did not mean anything to him). I am also reminded of an incident that happened in a residential area that was a strict no horn zone. I was with my friend in his Ciaz. There was a blind turn, and my friend was doing merely 20 KM/H. Out of nowhere, this crazy kid (probably 20 years old) came at full speed on a bike and rammed straight into the passenger side door of my friends Ciaz. The door was obliterated, glass broken and ORVM hanging. The kid had hurt his face badly as he was not wearing a helmet. When the mob arrived, needless to say, they blamed my friend for turning without honking.
If you drive in India, you HAVE to honk to save yourself from the stupidity of others and the subsequent harassment from the mob (bigger vehicle is always at fault).

I have also noticed that people often honk out of frustration, as an expression of anger or rage. In Delhi, as soon as the light turns green, people start blaring their horns like crazy, sometimes in a very threatening manner. This isn’t a BMW specific phenomenon, but couldn’t resist sharing this meme:



Then there’s those types who simply use the horn to prank random people:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCb_TZZ0r54

And who can forget our Highway trucks with their typical musical horns:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KrxfSPjwyE

A few years back, there was news about luxury car makers having to use more durable Horns for their Indian cars; their original euro horns wouldn’t have been able to survive the ordeal of being used constantly.

https://auto.economictimes.indiatime...india/28937211

[prakash_ajp]

I don't use the horn unless it is absolutely necessary. I know many would say the same. But in my case, on a typical day of my driving in Bangalore traffic, I use it zero to one times. Part of the reason is that I took my first driver's license in Californa. And when I started driving here, I told myself, I am not going to get sucked into this madness. So, when I see a pedestrian, I slow down. When I see a car cutting into my lane, I slow down. This has become a habit and even if I want to honk sometimes, my hands are reluctant.

The trouble with Indian population is, they want someone else to solve their problem. They need to understand that "that" person crossing the road is also you.

I have also thought along similar lines as the OP - that we should make honking costly. But of course, it can never be removed. It is mandatory for safety reasons.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

More than a decade back when I joined the vehicle testing team of my ex-employer, my Guru and then my Boss, Late Behram Dhabhar told this before allowing me the license to drive on test tracks - "Every other driver / person on the road, except you, is a Moron, if you follow this as a driver, you can avoid a lot of troubles", and how true he is (defensive driving), especially when it comes to driving in India.

I was thinking of this honking aspect yesterday, as lately I've slightly changed my steering grip position to make honking easier. People just don't bother unless you honk!

I honk when:

1. I see bad drivers (habit of driving in Europe).
2. I notice irresponsible road users around my vehicle's vicinity to warn them of my presence, which if neglected by them, could lead to a hazardous situation.

Spike

PS - No offence meant to anyone, I'm just being honest.

[2cents]

I suggest every motor vehicle should have two horns, hardwired. One outside, and another inside the cabin. And the one inside should have twice the decibel. My sentiments aside, this is really a chicken and egg problem - pedestrian or driving a vehicle, we are the same folk after all!

[jigar1791@gmail]

Originally Posted by condor

Dear MadinMumbai:

please get pedestrians off the road and on to the foot-path, make them cross the road at crossings, pls inculcate lane discipline and traffic sense amongst all drivers - especially the two wheelers, and I promise NOT to use the horn in the vehicle I am driving.

Thank you.

+1 to your request

Especially, the 2 wheelers, who I think, are always in a hurry to reach somewhere, but once they make it to the destination, they're late

For reference - do watch this clip by Vipul Goyal :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7vyqem4RwU

One more request to ensure automobiles and CVs to stop/reduce honking - old, rickety auto-rickshaws, who drive on the right most lane (almost a norm on the WEH in Mumbai), and try to poke their front tire into an inch of space they get while cutting lanes/taking a turn. They're a menace if you drive near station roads and share-auto pickup points.

From - a motorist who vows not to honk at everything/everyone, but 2 wheelers and auto-rickshaws !

[condor]

Some folks think that all people are hobby honkers, happy to honk away. The reason to honk is more to warn the other person that he is getting in way of a bigger vehicle, and the honking is more for his safety than our sadistic pleasure. May be these people think a better way is to stop, get out, and go upto the other vehicle and ask him to move a bit, or go in a straight line, or move to one lane instead of using the lane marker as a guiding centre line to be followed.

[N4Nikunj]

Dear All,

I must have to say we should not honk unnecessarily.

I don't know about other states and their city traffic conditions but at least here in Gujarat almost 60% of 2 wheeler riders(The majority goes to ladies) ride their bikes or scooters with earphones on and songs on full blast. Now to give way to a vehicle one has to constantly monitor the ORVMs. Sadly this thing is not possible with earphones on.

Now situation here is like that if we don't honk while overtaking or even in B2B traffic it may be dangerous for both vehicles.

Second thing is that now as we are in 2021 almost all new-age cars come with Bluetooth connectivity but still majority of the car owners want to talk on their phones stuck to the ear only. Here the honking is necessary for alerting the driver who is busy on his/her phone.

So basically concluding it we need to honk in both 2 & 4 wheeler cases.

Sometimes I feel the main culprit is not loud horns but phones.

[sunsivj]

I would like to highlight one more pattern I experience on one group of riders who honk more often than others. Its the Royal Enfield riders.

I have rode this bullet for a long drive (about 250kms), and I felt maneuvering this isn't easy and hence SOME of them tend to use the honk. Is this also a reason some additional sound is given to this bullet coming from its silencer by default.

Enfield riders, I apologise if this is any way hurting, but please think and analyse if my statement is closer to truth.

Removing honk may not be the solution. Using it properly is. We use it because of the ill driving habits of others.
Driving schools have to teach a lot of these usage and educate the learners when to use horn and surely when not to. This could help a bit.

[Hayek]

Great thread and a theme I fully buy. Have always thought that the horn should be linked to a payment system (say the Fastag). Honk once and you pay ₹10, second time - ₹20, third time - ₹40 and so on. The system can get reset to zero if you don’t horn for 10 minutes. Suspect we will raise millions in fines, and people will stop honking. The fact is you don’t need to honk if pedestrians are on the road, you use your brakes instead.

[GTO]

Guilty as charged! I am part of the group that believes the horn is a vital safety equipment in India. When I'm overtaking a truck on a 2-lane highway, I will always tap the horn once / twice to let the trucker know I'm there. Over and above, my low beam headlights are always on, on highway drives.

Originally Posted by saikarthik

Do you guys want to know an interesting fact? When Honda entered Indian 2W market with as Hero-Honda, the first part to fail excessively and have a quality improvement was the horn.

Same thing with my C220. Something like 4 - 5 horns changed under warranty. Fed up with the lack of reliability in other areas, I told Mercedes "can't you even build a reliable horn???". Pat came the reply from a German "you guys honk way too much in India. In Europe, we use the horn once in 6 months". My response "localise, damn it! If you're selling your car here, make it work here!!!".

[Raghu M]

I honk a lot. When I see a biker in front of me trying to use his phone and driving, I honk to the extent that he turns around and gives me an angry stare. I don't mind, I just want him/her to get off the phone or stop and take the call. I worry that the idiot may loose balance and come under my wheels. There are quite a few idiots like these on our roads. It is the most essential part on a car if you ask me.

[Kosfactor]

Out of curiosity , the ones who are against using a Horn appropriately - Where do you drive in India and at what time of the night?

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Out of curiosity , the ones who are against using a Horn appropriately - Where do you drive in India and at what time of the night?

Anti-Horn driver reporting for duty sir! Notwithstanding your sarcasm, I'll reply anyway.

I seldom drive late at night. And I drive through thickly populated neighborhoods all the time, at times of the day and night when there are people up and about. And yet I honk very rarely. I get by somehow.

[Bibendum90949]

I would say the car manufacturers should make it really hard for one to honk, means one has to press it that hard for it to work. If so, it'll make drivers to operate it only when one is in dire need. It should act as a deterrent and should cut down unnecessary honking to a large extent. I feel it's so easy to sit in an insulated ac car and honk away incessantly. Only if they listen to the loudness it creates outside of the car did most realise that it's indeed much louder than they thought.