Is there ever an appropriate time to lay on the horn while driving? What about happy honks?
Washington State Patrol Trooper Johnna Batiste shares the right (and wrong) times to blast your car’s horn.
You can legally use your horn to alert another driver if they are about to crash into you, according to Batiste. For example, if you’re in another car’s blind spot and they start to turn into your lane, that would be a good time to honk your horn.
However, two categories of honking are not acceptable: rage honking and party honking.
Batiste said you can get pulled over if you’re driving down the roadway and blasting your horn for no apparent reason, which Batiste called “party honking.”
Also, if you’re angry with another driver, Batiste didn’t recommend expressing that emotion through your horn.
“I honestly never recommend the angry honk,” Batiste said.
Instead, some instances may call for a pleasant tap on the horn, like if the driver in front of you at a stop light isn’t paying attention and the light has turned green.