Driving

No, you're not being unreasonable, but I guess a lot of people are very stressed at the moment, and you were just on the receiving end.

I really don't understand why people feel able to risk driving when they are so out of control of their emotions, or have such volatile passengers who could distract them from driving. It's like having an out of control, unsecured dog in the car, I wouldn't risk that either. If I ever found myself that angry at other people on the road I'd not risk getting behind the wheel. Scary how a lot of people seem not to take staying safe on the road seriously and failing to understand the highway code with regard to being warned by another driver.

The other driver was clearly in the wrong and I would guess that having it pointed out to them just made, whatever is currently going on in their lives, several times worse!
I have found that the best way to deal with this is to smile, shrug my shoulders, and where possible, drive on and leave them. Just hope that their rant made them feel better , but you can guess that they have already posted on Facebook , at least, putting you in the wrong!

You are quite within your rights to use your horn to to alert another driver of your presence especially if they're crossing your path. My DH is a gentle beeper I'm more forceful! We actually have two horns on our car, the one that came with it and an 1900s antique air horn (think brass with rubber bulb except that it's wired in now), it's been in the family for generations and has been fitted on every car we've had. It makes a wonderful HOOOOONNK noise and it's great for moving sheep off the road! It's my preferred choice if someone cuts me up. Some years ago when that happened the driver followed me until we stopped at traffic lights, he got out of his car came to my window, apologised for his bad driving and asked where I had got the horn as he'd love to have one!

I’m finding some drivers being very rude at the moment. I think because there is so little traffic at the moment some think there’s no need to wait until they join another road.

I don’t understand this aggression.

One reason I have front and rear cameras. not to post idiots on SM but if someone starts up i just tell them they are on camera. I'm not perfect but if i make a mistake and get beeped i try and gesture an apology

Hint to anyone frightened by a road rage idiot.....Don't stop. Stay in your car, lock the doors and drive to the nearest police station, supermarket car park, or other busy place. Don't go home in case they follow you all the way and then know where you live. Sounds extreme, but some of these people may have mental health issues.

My sister thinks you should never hoot at another driver. I, on the other hand, think the opposite. If a driver does something that is dangerous and causes you to take action then to let them know that is reasonable. Sometimes the driver isn't aware and maybe needs a gentle reminder.
I hooted at a van who was pulling into my lane - I was on the inside lane with nowhere to go - and he apologised as he simply hadn't seen me. If I'd not hooted we would have crashed as there was nothing I could do to avoid him. He pulled back into his lane saved an accident. And it may make him think another time.

The highway code says it's only legal to sound a horn to "warn someone of your presence". So for example if you are watching someone reverse into you and you can't move out of the way.
If there is no immediate danger then no, you can't use it, so yes, you were wrong.

This is what the law says. Not what happens in practice.

You are not legally allowed to beep for any other reason - not even a thank you, goodbye, or from annoying behaviour.

The Highway Code says you may use your horn to give warning of your presence, so technically you can beep if someone is about to pull out in front of you, but not after they have done it. Using it as a gesture of annoyance is not recommended, but oh so common it is kind of to be expected. If you are walking down the street and someone, eyes in their phone screen, bumps into you, you would express annoyance at their lack of care, and this is the same reaction behind the wheel. Drivers are very sensitive to criticism of their driving skills, treating it like a personal attack on them, so you are probably better muttering 'idiot' or whatever helps you let off steam, rather than sounding the horn. But we are only human!?

Driving during lockdown has started to get out of hand. I suggest we have a separate Traffic Force to the Police. They could give more focus to safer roads and let our normal Police Force get back to what they did best. Maybe that way we won’t have to wait 2 days for contact after a burglary anymore.

I think she was wrong to stop mid turn unless she was actually going to hit you. Once out she could have noticed you and sped away.
It’s so long since I’ve used my horn that by the time I’d found it to beep it would have been too late. I’d just have settled for braking to avoid her.
I’m off to look where my horn is just in case I need it.

Slightly off message but related. Is it just me or are women far more obviously aggressive than they used to be? At times I fear for the future of the race. Nurturing seems ‘unfashoinable’ unless targetting animals. What do you think?

To beep a horn quickly you need one, or at least I do, in the middle of the steering wheel. By the time I’ve found it on one of the controls by the side of the wheel on my old car I have already taken avoiding action and slammed on the brakes. I still hoot afterwards sometimes just to say ‘hey be more careful’ which I guess is what op did.

But as car was pulling out you did right to beep. I would have done it loudly to make sure they knew I was there and thus avoid an accident as you did. No you were not unreasonable. Passenger needs to go on an anger management course.

With some people attack is the best form of defence. Rather than embarrass themselves by admitting they were wrong they turn it around. My late DH, if I criticised something he’d done, usually dredged up one of my ancient sins in retaliation.
I imagine that if she wasn’t the driver, she was attacking on their behalf.
If I ever make a mistake while driving (which, of course, is almost never! ?) I wave acknowledgement, then make a ‘shooting myself in the head’ gesture of apology.

Yes sadly, some dont take it well- my son (a young driver,passed at 19) never used to beep at anyone, he said it was because his car hadnt a very loud horn, but then he upgraded a bit after 2 years, and once he beeped & a driver was gesticulating at him and rushed as if following us for a bit before turning at the lights, as id told my son to drop back a bit- but maybe the other driver would have taken it further if i wasnt there as a 'witness'? Theres been a few incidents in news where a driver alone (usually male) has been dragged from their car &beaten or even stabbed! I worry so much for my son when he has to go alone anywhere, I've been much relieved over lockdown he's hardly been out.

Reading all the posts made me realise I have never sounded my horn

Be careful GreenGran, some idiot might take your 'apology' gesture a signal for them to actually do so- you just never know these days- and lockdown all this time just seems to have riled them further. Im sure some of the folk at the recent demonstrations were far worse because a lot of them have been like coiled springs, cooped up inside, seething with unused anger! Now theyre allowed out on roads & streets sadly

&sometimes the women are worse than the men on the roads!(sorry ladies)

Having driven for over 40 years before having to give up driving due to blindness, in all of that time I only used my horn twice, and on both occasions it was due to someone walking in the same direction as I was driving and they were actually in the middle of a narrow road leaving no room for me to pass.

I always felt that using the horn was a complete waste of time and simply served to antagonise people who were already driving dangerously, and, if I did have time to use the horn, it would either be after the fact, so therefore not a warning, or if I did have time to use the horn, it wasn't really an emergency.

When I took the last car I owned for it's first MOT and I was asked to check the horn I didn't actually know where it was Lol! And the mechanic told me it was on the end of the indicators lever........

Some people just have do take umbrage. A woman looking at her phone while in her car, waiting behind men on my bike at a busy roundabout ran into the back of my bike. I lost my balance and fell off. Got up and pulled bike to side of road. She winds down her window and yells "You stupid f****** cow at me!!!" Hmmm...entirely my fault to be waiting to join a roundabout in front of her and getting in her way when she is driving whilst looking at her phone. She drove off still yelling!!

Exactly Beachwriter!

They should take care as they will upset the wrong person one day. A few years ago my friend was driving through Manchester approaching traffic lights when 4 youths ran across the road in front of her car. She wound down the window shouting n swearing at them calling them names w.......s etc. They turned around and booted all the side of her car causing a lot of damage, wing mirror off etc. Nothing she could do as she was stopped at the lights. Funny enough she doesn't suffer from road rage any more.

I would be more than pleased to explain
Meryl Please don't bother! Getting out of the way would be sufficient!
OoRoo