Let's understand the psychology behind honking and the ways to tone it down 25th January 2023
Honking while driving on the road is a serious topic and a primary source of noise pollution. Persistent noise from honking can lead to stress, annoyance, depression, and hearing impairment. It also causes road accidents due to sudden distractions. If you are wondering why people honk so much, you should understand the psychology behind it.
Reasons why people honk their horns so much.
Generally, it would be best to use a horn to avoid collisions, when necessary. However, drivers also honk for other reasons, such as
1. Honking by habit:
Most Indian drivers honk just because they feel like it, even if it is unnecessary. You may find honkers honking at turns, at blind corners, and at pedestrians walking or crossing the roads. Drivers also honk recklessly during a traffic jam to move the traffic. In this behaviour, the driver needs to show more awareness and patience.
2. Honking as a way to communicate:
In India, drivers use horn honking to communicate without words with other drivers on the road. Drivers use several horn-honking patterns, each with a different meaning. For instance, drivers use single honking when waiting outside their friend's house or when someone is in front of their vehicle, which means "I'm here".
The double horn means, "please don't be dumb", and the triple horn means, "I am upset that traffic has not moved". Some aggressive drivers use the repeater triple horn to tell other drivers that they are more important and ask them to get out of their way.
Another form of aggressive horn honking used by large vehicles is the big blast, meaning "I can do whatever I want because I am mighty".
3. Continuously honking at high speeds:
You may have seen a reckless driver going forward and constantly honking, leaving everyone behind. Such drivers are always in a hurry to arrive on time for work, meetings, or other events. However, irresponsible driving habits are dangerous and can cause more havoc on traffic.
You should avoid driving in a hurry or using a horn unnecessarily. While talking about safety, buying online motor insurance is essential to protect your vehicle from damages.
How to reduce unnecessary honking while driving:
● Most people need to learn the severity of unnecessary honking and its disadvantages. You should spread awareness about honking and noise pollution to your friends, family, and neighbours.
● Take driving lessons from renowned driving schools to learn the basics of honking etiquette, like avoiding honking at no-honking zones, near hospitals, schools, forest areas, etc.
● Unnecessary honking can also lead you to pay a ticket (challan). You should learn about when and where you should not honk.
● The government should impose strict laws against unnecessary honking and a maximum dB limit for large vehicles.
There are many reasons why drivers and riders like to honk so much. If you are like most drivers in India, you should learn the reasons behind drivers honking their horns and ways to reduce them. Once you understand the basics of honking etiquette, you should tell others to spread awareness.
In addition to honking etiquette, it is also essential for drivers to have motor insurance to protect them from fines and damage costs in the future. You can get online motor insurance quickly with minimum documentation and without the hassle of physically visiting the insurance company's office or paying a commission to an agent.
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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.