‘People do relax after they’ve passed their test – they forget’
A new survey shows many motorists have forgotten some of the very basic rules they learned at the time of their driving test. Richard Ault reports...
ONE in seven motorists believe they can honk their car horn at any time of the day, according to a new survey which shows millions of motorists do not understand fundamental rules of the road.
Most drivers are aware that they should only use their horn to alert another driver to their presence.
But according to research carried out by insurance provider 1st Central, 14 per cent of people believe it is okay to sound their horn at night in a built-up area.
In fact there is a curfew between 11.30pm and 7am – and anyone who sounds their horn between those hours could be slapped with a £50 fixed penalty notice, which could rise to as much as £1,000 if they decide to dispute the fine at court and lose.
The rules also state that you should only use the horn from a moving vehicle.
That means that pulling up outside someone’s house and tooting the horn is against the rules. Drivers who beep at traffic lights or in a traffic jam to try to make someone speed up are also risking a fine. However, there is an exception if there is danger from a moving vehicle or another road user.
Rules about sounding horns are among a number of instructions laid out in the Highway Code, which millions of people have forgotten.
“No matter how many years of driving you have under your belt, it’s important to remember the correct rules of the road to ensure a safe drive for all,” said 1st Central chief executive Andy James.
The poll of 2,000 UK drivers found that a third of motorists (34 per cent) believe the speed limit for cars on a dual carriageway is 60mph, when it is actually 70mph.
Some 32 per cent mistakenly think they should signal before checking their mirrors when carrying out a manoeuvre.
Mr James added: “While experienced drivers may be comfortable behind the wheel, it’s concerning to see how many people have forgotten speed limits.”
Driving instructor Malcolm Woodward, aged 57, of Weston Coyney – who runs Malc’s Driving School – said: “People do relax after they’ve passed their test and they forget what they have learned. A lot of people don’t seem to know they have got signals on their cars.
“The longer people go on without testing, the more they develop their own style of driving, whether that is the right way or the wrong way. They think they know best.
“I think that every three to five years there should be a reassessment, that way people would keep up to date on what they should and shouldn’t be doing.
“For example I’ve just been out on a lesson and I saw four different people go through a red light.”
He added: “Beeping the horn has been brought into the driving test. They are asked to show they can do so many things, and one of them is using the horn, when it is safe to do so.”
Driver Glenn Hodgkinson, aged 48, of Alsager, said: “I did know that you can’t sound the horn late at night, I thought it was after 11pm.
“I didn’t know you had to be moving when you use it.
“I think people probably do forget a lot of rules. I haven’t looked through a Highway Code since I took my test, I bet most people haven’t.”