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AIR HORNS................?

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  • AIR HORNS................?

    Audible Warning Instruments.

    Yes we do use them, they sound great in a tunnel, but are they legal?


    <u>Audible Warning Instruments covered by Regulation 37 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.</u>

    It should be CONTINUOUS and uniform and not strident. (Would an air horn with a tune be defined as this?)

    <u>Use of Horns, as covered by Regulation 99 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.</u>

    Horns must not be used when stationary (other than in an emergency involving another vehicle)

    Horns must not be used when in motion on restricted roads between 23.30 and 7.00 hours.
    Other than in an emergency involving another vehicle. (That is all roads, other than those with the national speed limit.)

    <font color=red>Now I'm going to sit back, hear all your comments...BUT I want them backed up with the legislation please.</font id=red>

  • #2
    Hmmm i'm not really agreeing with you today am I
    It states above (number 37) that if it's one tone it's ok. There's no reference to how loud or what type of tone.
    When you was a cop what was your opinion on cars with air horns?
    This is actually something I personally don't like, I think they sound **** but it's down to personal preference.

    Seeing as we're having a law and rules discusssion, whats the deal on neons both inside and outside the car are they legal?

    Comment


    • #3

      An interesting subject this. I tried checking out whether in fact air horns were legal/ illegal but drew a bit of a blank.

      It came about as I've been very keen to fit horns to our city but didn't want to get failed when the MOT came round etc..Had them on my mini's back in the 60/70's...and think they're a great addition.

      As the standard horn on the city is so very twee I consider airhorns almost as a 'must have' safety addition, especially if warning a driver of an HGV etc. of ones presence.

      Back when I used them the law was: As long as you still had the standard factory fitted horn you could have air horns as an addition but they had to be triggered by a seperate switch, not by the standard horn button. Wonder if the law has changed?

      Does anyone know what the current state of play is these days?

      Comment


      • #4
        Matt,
        It should be CONTINUOUS and uniform and not strident.

        (Strident: Characterised by harsh and discordant sound or loud and abtusive)

        Comment


        • #5
          Ok so this is where the question lies like many laws with variables, how do you define loud?
          Is there a maximum db you're allowed or is it defined by the offier who is offended by the air horn.
          And as ninonick said could you not have it on a sperate switch and claim that it is for show and off road use only?

          Comment


          • #6
            If "strident" is the word used in the legislation and if Eric's definition of the word is extracted from the OED, then the next question is:

            Is there any relevant case law?

            If not then the test will be the classic "man on the clapham omnibus" one. Would the average person consider the noise to be "strident"? A bobby could enforce the statute against you as long as he/she felt the noise was strident (and contravening the legislation) and your only recourse would be through the courts.

            If a louder horn is required, why not do what other smart owners have done - buy a (compliant) horn from a merc and use that instead? No risk of breaking the law....


            Edited by - BigJC on 25 Mar 2004 15:03:46

            Comment


            • #7

              Hi James,
              ...er, I think I follow you.

              However, buying a Merc horn would I imagine be a pricey way of doing things.

              Air Horns are a good and loud upgrade and importantly not expensive.

              Again, trawling through The Dusty Archives of Nino's Dying Grey Cells I do remember that in the past , Air Horns that played tunes, Colonel Bogey etc were illegal but straight two tone horns were legal. Again my question, has anything changed?

              From what I've found or rather the little that I've found on the internet, there seems to be no hard and fast law.

              Comment


              • #8
                One your Primary Horn is the standard (Or Louder) Normal horn, The other could be part of your ICE.(or somthing)
                If it Plays a Tune its not a Warning instrument.
                Therefore The 1st Law Doesnt apply.
                And the second law applies to horns in general, and about the usage therof. so thats not relevent either

                Comment


                • #9
                  NinoNick,

                  Yeah - a bit wordy, wasn't it?

                  A guy called 02CAB placed a post about this on thesmartclub.co.uk forums - he got a c-class horn from a breakers by mail order for a total (including postage and sourcing fee) of £27.

                  I don't know how that compares to the cost of air horns but his c-class one was actually two horns at different tones and by all reports was LOUD.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Going back a few years I had a splendid set of Maserati air horns fitted to my Mini Moke, connected to its pendulum anti-theft alarm.

                    I'd had the horns a few months when, driving along one very wet Saturday evening I expressed my irritation with a girl who rushed out into the road in front of me. A jet of water & mud was ejected from the air horns, hitting her legs, she screamed, but lucky for me, didn't get my number.

                    I made a mental note to reposition the horns higher to give errant pedestrians an even better blasting!

                    Very late that same night, after cinema & dinner, got into the car but the alarm sounded and would not stop.

                    I was well & truly disturbing the peace at 2am, & the only part of the alarm/air horn system I could get at was the plastic pipe between the air horn compressor & the horns themselves, so I cut it through the radiator grille & drove off in blessed silence.

                    As I neared home I smelled something ..... the wiring was burning, because the compressor was working continuously for 20+ minutes, to the extent of damaging its own wiring AND the wiring loom. It was rather expensive to replace.

                    Have not trusted alarms or air horns since.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      A question then. Are my horns legal? I removed the original horn and replaced with twin air horns that are on slightly different frequencies to each other, but do not play a tune.

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                      • #12

                        James...you're a Cheeky Monkey.

                        Seen air horns in a local car shop for about £20.

                        That's not too wordy is it?

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                        • #13
                          irrespective of laws governing the use of horns when u can and cant use them, it comes down to common sense and on occasions there is nothing wrong with using the horn other than in emergency situations like waiting outside someones house giving it a blast on the horn, or getting someones attention when u drive past them, the only time i have a problem with horns being used excessivly is in built up areas at unacceptable times of the night when people are asleep.

                          but hey you got a horn on your car so you might as well use it

                          just out of interest, what point are you trying to make with your posting eric? - or are you just dictating the law to us?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            just out of interest, what point are you trying to make with your posting eric? - or are you just dictating the law to us?
                            Funkysmart is a 'broad church' <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> & as I read it, Eric is drawing attention to legalities surrounding air horns - I see no dictation there.

                            I don't think Eric is claiming responsibility for the laws, nor demanding adherence to it; he is merely referring us to it.

                            Edited by - Cantankerous on 24 Mar 2004 13:43:37

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I use air horns in my old mini whenever i get a idiot driving up my arse, Its hard to get annoyed with someone who give you a blast of dixie instead of flicking the finger. Its only a matter of time before i get them fitted to mine or mels smart, they always crack me up. bloody good fun at meets and on convoys. I think they should come as standard on all smarts. they are kind of polite!

                              Weather they are legal or not, im not to botherd. You have to be a bit stoopid to use them infront of Plod. but im not sure they would throw the book at you, just say sorry i didnt know and i wont do it again, and kiddies! dont forget to smile.

                              And as for the Road Traffic laws in the uk, im of the oppionion that they are in serious need of updating. I dont think they always take into account modern road conditions.

                              Comment

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