The sound of incessant honking has become synonymous with Mbombela’s CBD after this trend has migrated from Gauteng’s city streets to ours.
Most of us don’t even blink an eye when a sudden “hoot!” erupts from the minibus taxi driving next to you. Many have become accustomed to it. Accustomed to it or not, many Mbombela citizens are still occasionally startled by the bleating of a horn. The taxi driver who blew his horn will usually proceed to collect the passengers whose attention he attracted in this manner.
Michael J Stanton, former president of the Association of Global Automakers, petitioned for the elimination of horn-honking more than three years ago. His petition is available on the website change.com, where he elaborates on the reasons for his plea. “The horn’s function is to startle, command attention, and warn of imminent danger. Additional scientific inquiry is not required to prove that horn-honking evokes a physiological stress response. That is why noise ordinances prohibit unnecessary honking,” he explains.
South Africa’s Road Traffic Act prohibits unnecessary hooting. Section 310 states that “no person shall operate or permit to be operated on a public road a vehicle in such a manner as to cause any excessive noise which can be avoided by the exercise of reasonable care on his or her part.”
In short? Nobody is allowed to cause excessive noise while driving their vehicle. Using a vehicle’s horn for any other reason than an emergency, is a contravention of the Road Traffic Act and punishable by law. Nelspruit Post consulted with a legal expert who advises road users: “Although a fine will be a more suitable punishment than a prison sentence, motorists should refrain from honking their horns as it is just simply irritating. Stop it.”
