Using your horn, damned if you do, damned if you dont!

[StatlerandWaldorf]

I am still exasperated about a potentially fatal incident that happened this morning whilst driving my son to school.

3 lane road with hard shoulder, I am driving in the middle lane due to motorcycles in the inside lane, not fast due to traffic. I notice a family of 4 on a motorcycle in the inside lane as I pass slowly, man wearing helmet, young children and mother not. As I am passing the motorcycle slowly starts to veer to the right and if left unchecked is going to side swipe my car. This clearly would have pretty dire consequences for the family, especially the kids with no helmets. With nowhere to go due to traffic to my right I give a short 'bip' of my horn as the rider clearly had no situational awareness and was not aware of my presence. He swerved back over the broken line into the inside lane whilst screaming a torrent of abuse at me, my 'bip' had obviously startled him/woken him up, whatever.

Just what did this guy expect me to do in this situation? let him side swipe me and have his kids slide down the road with no helmets? Is his delicate little ego so fragile that me sounding my horn to warn him of pending doom was just too much to handle?

I see on a daily basis people riding motorcycles with absolutely no idea of what is going on around them, the only thing that surprises me is that there are not even more fatalaties on the roads.

Sorry, I know this is a bit of a rant but I had to get it off my chest how a delicate ego is more important than your own kids lives.

[Briggsy]

You need to calm down. You did the right thing. You encountered a prick. Don't let it spoil your day.

[evadgib]

You presumably have a dashcam in the event of establishing post-accident blame?

[geronimo]

Rant over, let it go. I constantly encounter this, and it must be water off a duck's back otherwise it affects your outlook.

[lopburi3]

I am seeing this activity on the part of motorcycles more and more often recently while riding in back seat of taxi and, thankfully, they seem to have radar that alerts them when 2cm from car (although one hit taxi mirror last week - and quickly sped off).

[impulse]

Take from it any lessons that may make you and the family safer in the future.

Then move on.

Otherwise, your stay in Thailand will give you ulcers and alcoholism.

You may have done absolutely nothing wrong, but that won't save you from an early grave. Learning the defensive lessons just may.

[Lannig]

Indeed, use of the horn in Thailand is something I've never been able to figure out accurately. I've learned to use it very, very sparingly. Probably too sparingly safety-wise. And flash lights instead, which obviously is much less effective in many cases.

Honking is considered as very aggressive and this is so deeply ingrained in people's minds that that it can cause such abusive reaction even if that probably saved the life of one or more members of this family.

I do agree that you did the right thing here (obviously) and you shouldn't bother. Yet another TiT moment...

Edited May 23, 2016 by Lannig

[Kwasaki]

I unrated my horns to warn moped & scooter riders I'm coming up behind you but there still not loud enough IMO.

They can shout back as much as like, don't bother me, you knock them over, it's you in trouble.

[Rayk]

I have had to do the same numerous times while either on my motorcycle or in the car. And it's always just a little honk to let the person know I am there and my fiancee gets infuriated with me saying that so many Thais carry guns that one day I'll probably get shot.

[Kwasaki]

I have had to do the same numerous times while either on my motorcycle or in the car. And it's always just a little honk to let the person know I am there and my fiancee gets infuriated with me saying that so many Thais carry guns that one day I'll probably get shot.

Giving other road users a toot to warn them is something Thais do most of the time.

Ask your fiancee if she can get you a gun as well.

[Dmaxdan]

I have ridden as a passenger many times with various Thai people driving, and all of them will give a friendly toot of the horn if they think another road user hasn't seen them. I have never witnessed any aggressive behaviour because of this. So, I do the same and no one has had a problem or threatened to kill me yet. But one day I was out with a Farang friend and I tooted someone, and he told me his wife had told him it was a big no no, and I would be killed if continued to do it. So it seems every one has a different opinion. What I think is a short blast is fine, but a long, aggressive one, forget it.

[StatlerandWaldorf]

You presumably have a dashcam in the event of establishing post-accident blame?

I do but I doubt the angle of my dashcam is wide enough to capture the position of this guy.

[pistachios]

I feel like there is a huge difference between a short and acceptable "mip" and an angry "MEEEP MEEEP" that could get you shot.

[stevenl]

I unrated my horns to warn moped & scooter riders I'm coming up behind you but there still not loud enough IMO.

They can shout back as much as like, don't bother me, you knock them over, it's you in trouble.

If coming up from behind and knock them over, of course you're in trouble.

[stevenl]

You presumably have a dashcam in the event of establishing post-accident blame?

I do but I doubt the angle of my dashcam is wide enough to capture the position of this guy.

Shouldn't matter, you should have him on approach and later a sudden impact from the side.

[Inyourendo]

It's supposed to be loss of face or some such bullshit to use it, not the one honking, the one making the problem ... I don't give a toss...I honk away long and loud.

[richard_smith237]

I've sounded my horn three times today...

Once for a car which suddenly swerved out in front of me... I had to emergency break, followed by the Horn and Lights... I'm not sure if the car that pulled out saw me or not, or if he did, he fully expected me to hit the breaks hard.

Another incidence saw a car drifting in to my lane.. I'm not sure if the driver was paying attention... I papped the horn which did the trick.

In a further incident I was changing lanes (middle to right most lane, I'd indicated) in moving traffic (50 kmh) half way across the lane I saw in my right hand mirror a bike that was trying to squeeze past my right in a gap that nearly wasn't there. I had to swerve back to my left to avoid the bike - I hit my horn.

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I often go days or weeks without hitting the horn, its not necessary in most occasions... as above it only really helped avoid an accident in one of the circumstances... I've never seen aggression in response in 15 years driving in Bkk, not that aggression won't happen.

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I don't hit my horn outside of BKK... my car, outside of BKK with BKK plates is likely to push someone over the edge if I driver around with a superiority complex hitting my horn... That said, in an emergency its there to help and I would use it.

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I very rarely hit my horn at night... for some reason it just seems more dangerous than day time. It could be because other drivers may be drunk and more aggressive or that people... Either way, I see it as being a little more dangerous to hit the horn at night.

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In my previous car the horn was very light... I could gently 'pap-pap' which sounded more polite than my current car which has a 'stiff' horn and can't be delicately 'papped' rather it sounds off quite a blast which I hate as it sounds a little aggressive.

[Ireland32]

How about motorbikes that pull ahead of you at light and talk on phone and when light changes still talking, and no movement, or left hand turns as they race ahead of you to turn left and then brake on u also, Horn Used, Promptly.

[richard_smith237]

How about motorbikes that pull ahead of you at light and talk on phone and when light changes still talking, and no movement, or left hand turns as they race ahead of you to turn left and then brake on u also, Horn Used, Promptly.

Sometimes a friendly little 'pap-pap' is necessary.... it works and it comes across as not being aggressive... this is why I hate the horn on my current car... rather than a simple button or something which depresses easily it takes a little force, i.e. it requires the whole hand to blast the horn... which quite often is not the result / sound I'm going for...

[JaseTheBass]

I used my horn all the time when I drove more frequently. It woke them up out of their stupor, made them look like the idiots that they invariably are and often saved their skin.

Made the missus squirm though.

[luk AJ]

For those who are proud to use the horn frequently RIP.

[chiang mai]

For those who are proud to use the horn frequently RIP.

Nonsense! Ten years ago that might have been so, today it's rarely an issue. I drive extensively every day and I'm not afraid to sound my horn if the situation warrants and I've never had a problem, ever. A short precautionary beep to let somebody know you're there if they seem to be unaware; a longer double beep if somebody is doing something risky/dangerous that impacts me; a long long hard beep if somebody is being really stupid and putting me directly at risk. Mrs CM doesn't like it but her vote doesn't count on this one.

[mrjon]

The logic of it all in Thailand is that there is no logic.

Once I accepted that mindset, all was better, no horns just go faster, ha!

[blazes]

I have had to do the same numerous times while either on my motorcycle or in the car. And it's always just a little honk to let the person know I am there and my fiancee gets infuriated with me saying that so many Thais carry guns that one day I'll probably get shot.

My wife says exactly the same thing, makes the motion of putting gun to temple and forbids me on pain of death (from the beepee) to sound the horn.

[mikebell]

Yet in Vietnam it's almost compulsory to sound your horn every 15 seconds. My daughter had to change her premium hotel room because it overlooked the main road - they were still at it at 4 am with hardly any traffic!

[al007]

Driving here is challenging, I have done maybe 250,000 kms so far so good

I use my horn frequently and have boosted it to bigger air horns, motor bikes may be upset but they are still alive

At night we have two on watch, my wife says motorbike RHS no lights, motor bike ahead with lights, idiot coming up very fast on inside lane, expect he has red plates

We have second rear view mirror for passenger

AND remember there is in practise no highway code, because many have never been taught it

Of course I forgot the minivans, seldom if ever see one driving safely

[Henryford]

I once bipped my horn at a thai's very bad driving and he chased me down the road and threatened to shoot me. Obviously a major insult to their manliness.

[kkup]

I use my horn multiple times everyday. Wife used to hate it but now understand's why I do it. Plus I think you should use the horn more often. How else will they realise what they are doing is dangerous and life threatening.

My favorite is the "late turner'. a driver who is generally on the far left who wants to turn right. Always makes the last minute decision with 20- 50 metres he'll slow down or completely stop (in the middle of a main road / highway 80km p/h) so he can merge to the right lane for a u-turn. No thought of the accident he's about to potentially cause. No planning ahead to move to the right lane a few hundred metres or more before his turn. Amazing.

DELETED

Edited May 24, 2016 by seedy
derogatory

[fxe1200]

For those who are proud to use the horn frequently RIP.

One does not have to be proud to use the horn frequently. But a clear loud honking is mostly a wake up call for drivers/riders who are sleeping or are distracted by their telephone. But when they woke up and recognize you, then the possibility of an accident is minimized.

[phrisco17]

Thai drivers (oxymoron) do not drive their vehicle, the vehicle drives the driver as they only point the it In the direction of travel. Since the RTP will not enforce traffic laws and good driving etiquette the only hope is to cause loss of face by loudly blowing the horn at them. Maybe eventually they will get the message, however I rather doubt it!!!!