Do loud horns increase road rage?

Same here; I love those horns.

Loud horns save lives....

I taped my loud horn down to be extra safe

I turn my on when I leave home then shutdown when I get back...

Its a long day listening too the sound of Honk for 14 too 16 hour rides... Ha...

Lets blaze though horns...

Horn road ragge is a good thing...

Don't forget too flip the bird at the pecker heads too... LOL

J.T

I used to think I needed a louder horn on the bike but came to realize that I can't remember the last time I actually used the one I have. That may be partly due to not being able to find the button in a hurry. Our precious time in most situations where we think a horn will help is better spent on avoiding the hazard.

Right now there is an ad that I keep seeing on YouTube for some obnoxious horn that sounds like a huge air horn. They have clip after clip of startled pedestrians jumping out of their skins at the commanding sound of the horn, drivers jerking left and right to avoid whatever truck must be about to consume them, etc. I watched this and all I could think was that I would want to throw a brick at the idiot who blew that horn. (Disclaimer: I would never throw something at such an offender...but I'd still want to.)

Aside from a quick "meep" to awaken green light cell phone zombies, a horn is probably one of the most useless pieces of defense at our disposal.

If it takes more than a short beep you're wasting time on someone who just doesn't care.

Agree. Since I don't own a Harley, I've wired my horn on whenever the engine is running.

Going out on a limb here, but did ya’ll know that the horn works on 4 legged and winged critters as well. Sometimes it takes more than a short meep to get them moving.

It’s interrsting to read blanket statements like this.

I use my horn multiple times on vitrtually every ride I take. If I didn’t, I’d have wrecked my bike or myself long ago. The horn saves me almost every ride.

I live and ride in a highly congested urban area. Every ride I take, there is someone who doesn’t see me, backing out of a driveway or parking space, or about to pull out across my lane from a cross street. A quick double toot on the horn makes them aware of my presence when they would otherwise miss me. No one gets angry - - it’s very helpful.

I also use the horn to alert cyclists and pedestrians that I am approaching from behind, if I have the slightest sense they may not be paying full attention. I signal well in advance just to give them a heads up I’m coming. My bike is fairly quiet and I know (as an avid cyclist myself) it can be somewhat startling to be unexpectedly overtaken by a motorcycle.

I cover my horn like I cover the brakes. But it is a stock horn, not a sound blaster, and it seems to do the job just fine.

One improvement I’d like to see is a horn switch that when simply tapped once very quickly, would automatically give a quick beep-beep (like the Roadrunner.) It’s hard to press, release, press again and release quickly enough to just get the quick beep-beep, which is all that’s needed for most situations I encounter. (You could still press and hold if you needed a longer signal.)

My most consistent use of a horn is when delivering to Costco. In their wisdom they put their receiving docks on their main entrance drive.
There's never a break in traffic, rarely will someone yield, and others won't when someone does. Sometimes 2 or more impatient drivers will nearly hit each other trying to get around me and those that have yielded.

Nothing worse than a Costco shopper behind the wheel.

Last year after a clueless driver blithely changed lanes right into me (yes, I had plenty of time to avoid), I decided to install a LOUD horn on the GSA. I had exactly the same concern as the title of this thread, however.

On one of the early rides with said horn, another lady (oops...driver) started to change lanes into me, and I reflexively took evasive action. Totally forgot about the horn! Duh. Memo to self: gotta become a horn-user.

So in the time I've had the loud horn, I've used the thing no more than half a dozen times. But there ARE situations in which I'd like to notify a nearby driver that I AM there...and the horn is for those situations. No long blasts. And not a trace of ensuing road rage.

Overall, I'm glad I have it. Wisht I had one on my bicycle...

--Doc

You really should look for another place to ride or another form of entertainment before you are killed!

I kind of get it. I will say I've ridden a fair amount in and around the Columbus Ohio area without much horn blowing, just very aware and watching for all the crazy stuff that happens.

I do agree with you on your last three comments though. You are clearly watching out for people screwing up, may they always be looking out for you if/when it's your turn to screw up... I will if I'm around. I've taken my fair share of turns messing up, so I'm always on the alert for others doing the same.

Can’t easily change where I live and ride, for the time being anyway. Meanwhile, I try to choose my riding windows carefully, and avoiding riding at night as a general rule whenever pissible.

Urban riding is very different from touring in the countryside. A bit like being in an obstacle course, with many of the obstacles in motion and distracted. You quickly learn to use every signalling device available.

Mine is wired to my get-back-whip.

I have never been safer on my FJR

But I think you’ll find in every jurisdiction in the country that what you describe qualifies as “Aggressive Driving” in a legal sense. I had a friend lose his dream job for that ticket.

Are you saying that signalling someone with my horn is aggressive driving? Not here it isn’t. It’s considered prudent behaviour.

Yep. I use the horn often to get the cell phone user going.

It’s all a matter of degree and frequency, of course, and everyone has their own barometer of how much they own the road they’re on. But law enforcement has a barometer, too, and things that don’t blend in are noticed. Just sayin.

I find the horn a tool, and I use tools. So I do use my horn quite a bit, and I n a number of different ways.

Sometimes just a light tootle, to let the pedestrian know I’m there for example. Or perhaps to let the person in front of me know the lights green now, we can go.

Sometimes laying on it. To get the lane drifters attention. To get the attention of the person who’s about to pull out in front of me.

There certainly are times I won’t use the horn. The person who’s already pulled out in front of me. I want you to keep going and clear the roadway, not to stomp your brakes and stop in front of me. So then I won’t use the horn.

There’s a lot of ways to use a horn.