When You Should AND Shouldn’t Use Your Horn To Avoid A New Haven Auto Accident

When you’re driving through the city you may find yourself in need of honking your horn to get attention and avoid a New Haven auto accident which is the intended purpose of the horn, but are there times when you should use your horn and other times when you shouldn’t?  The simple answer is, yes.

The horn on your car can be an invaluable tool to let others know you are in their vicinity and that they should pay extra attention to their surroundings so as to not hit your vehicle.  By design a horn is loud and disruptive and will certainly lead to you being noticed which is a good thing when it is used in the right way.  Here are some situations when you should use your horn and some situations when you shouldn’t.

You should use your horn when there is an immediate danger of an accident.  For instance, if you see someone coming at your vehicle and they are showing no signs of slowing down, the horn can be a way to alert them that they are heading to a collision.  In this situation it is one of your only tools to keep yourself and your passengers safe from a crash.

You should use your horn when someone at an intersection is not paying attention and the light turns green.  Not following the flow of traffic can be extremely dangerous and can put you or the car in front of you at risk of getting into an accident.  Notifying the person in front of you that it is time for them to proceed is a good use of your horn so that traffic flow can continue and risks can be avoided.

You should use your horn when you see a pedestrian is in danger of being struck.  Identifying this situation and then taking action is one way you can help the situation not become dangerous and harmful to the driver of an approaching vehicle and the pedestrian that they may harm.

You shouldn’t use your horn because you are mad at someone for cutting you off.  Road rage can present some dangerous conditions which may lead to an accident or an argument that can take your attention away from the road in front of you and cause you to get into an accident with someone else, someone that you may not have even been upset with in the first place.

You shouldn’t use your horn when there is a pedestrian or cyclist nearby and they could be startled by your horn.  Startling a pedestrian, especially a cyclist can put them in a dangerous position and could lead them to getting into an accident and becoming injured.  A loud blaring horn is the perfect way to startle someone and put them in a situation that will be dangerous for them.

Cars come equipped with horns because in some cases they provide a tool to prevent a New Haven auto accident, but if not used properly they may do more to create an accident then they do to prevent an accident.  You should use your best judgement when and how to use your horn, but if you are using it properly you may find yourself able to prevent an injury when behind the wheel.

If you become injured you may need to speak with an experienced attorney.  Contact one of our attorneys and we will work with you to understand your circumstance and learn about your situation.  We may be able to work with you to protect your long-term interests.