Survey: Car horn use causes Canadian drivers to feel unsafe, at risk of collision

A recent Canadian survey found that almost half of Canadians (48 per cent) have said they have been startled by a car horn blast, causing them to feel agitated, unsafe or even potentially getting into a collision.

The survey, conducted by Kanetix.ca, also revealed that 46 per cent of Canadians said they use their car horn most often in response to an automobile cutting them off or a dangerous driver – a risky response to a hazardous action. 

"Drivers are quick to react to traffic-related issues by aggressively blasting their horn,” said Janine White, vice-president of marketplaces and strategy at Kanetix.ca. “What many drivers don't realize however, is that there's a time and a place for horn honking and misuse can put others – pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers – potentially in harm's way."

Drivers often forget that the car horn is a safety feature which should only be used when absolutely necessary. According to the Official Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) Handbook, situations that warrant a car horn honk are those in which one feels threatened by another driver. In this scenario, one should use their horn to attract the other driver's attention. 

Horn use can also be done to gain the attention of an animal on the road in an effort to prompt it to safety.

Based on the survey, 41 per cent of Canadians ranked rush hour traffic as being worse now than it was three years ago, with nearly one in five Canadians (18 per cent) ranking it as the absolute worse they have seen. Also, nearly half (46 per cent) of Canadians stated they are likely to use their car horn to indicate their disapproval of any traffic-related issues. The most common reason is in response to a dangerous driver on the road, followed by a driver not paying attention to a traffic light change from red to green (17 per cent).

“As traffic across Canada becomes increasingly worse, so will unnecessary car horn use,” said White. "We all need to be mindful of each other on the road and realize that, despite poor traffic conditions or drivers not paying attention behind the wheel, inappropriate car horn honking can result in startling others to the point of getting into an accident."

Results also indicate that males are more likely to use their horn over female drivers, but the numbers are close (48 per cent to 45 per cent).