A DEFINING characteristic of city life is the constant honks from frustrated drivers in traffic jams, something every urban driver partakes in at some point.
However, some drivers are finding out that this quintessential chorus is actually illegal – and it can carry hefty fines or worse.
Tempers flared by congestion could have heavy consequences (stock image)[/caption]
Specially marked zones see stricter enforcement of the strange law[/caption]
The city’s no-honking zone signs come in all shapes, sizes, and phrasings[/caption]
Drivers in New York City are only allowed to honk their horns when warning others about “immediate danger,” according to city law.
Some obvious examples include when a driver drifts into your lane or alerting a distracted pedestrian who doesn’t have the right of way to cross a street.
In any other situation, honking your horn would be considered unnecessary and unlawful, and could cost you at least $350 in fines.
For perspective, this is a similar fee to what running a red light or speeding would cost you in the Big Apple.
While this no-honking law applies generally, there are also areas specifically marked as “No Honking Zones.”
The zones are typically found around schools, hospitals, or residential areas, where this law is more strictly enforced.
The New York Police Department didn’t immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment on what constitutes an emergency in these no-honking zones.
Repeatedly breaking this little-known law could result in points being added to your license.
Points on your license could lead to increased insurance premiums, mandated driving courses, and even license suspension.
HISTORY OF THE NOISE CODE
Crackdowns on honking started in 1973, when NYPD officers dedicated one week each month to handing out summonses for honking at busy intersections, The New York Times reported.
However, the oldest official discouragement of honking came in 1936, when the city’s first comprehensive noise code outlawed “prolonged and unreasonable blowing of a horn.”
The city’s emphasis on the law’s enforcement is a result of its efforts to combat noise pollution.
The Department of Environmental Protection consistently ranks noise as one of the top quality-of-life complaints from citydwellers.
With excessive noise being scientifically linked to higher stress levels, sleep disruption, and cardiovascular health issues, the enforcement of this law can be viewed as a public service.
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
- Daylighting law prohibiting drivers from parking their cars within 20 feet of any crosswalk in California
- Stricter street racing penalties in California
- Changes to car seat age and weight requirements in Colorado
- Fines for failing to follow designated enter and exit areas for express lanes in Colorado
- Bans on handheld devices while driving in Colorado and Missouri
- Drivers allowed to have a digital copy of their license on their cell phones in Illinois
- Yield right of way to emergency vehicles in Illinois
- Drivers required to take a vision test to renew licenses in Kentucky
- School bus safety law in Oregon
- Vehicle safety inspections scrapped in Texas
Likewise, the city has begun implementing “noise cameras,” which issue fines for cars breaking a specific decibel threshold.
Loud radios, loud exhaust setups, and, of course, honking your horn all have the potential to break this threshold, with the city collecting $750,000 from these cameras this year alone and over $1.7 million in the last few years.
While advising drivers not to honk their horns is easier said than done, there are also some preparations motorists can make to avoid associated unnecessary fees.
One of the most helpful is understanding that New York City traffic is notoriously slow, even after congestion zone pricing helped clear out certain city streets.
Budgeting additional time for this infamous infrastructure issue would also prove helpful in minimizing the stress drivers feel when stuck in traffic jams.
HONKING HUBBUBS
Some motorists have tried fighting similar laws to New York City’s, such as one California woman who tried taking her case to the Supreme Court by arguing that limiting use of a car horn is a violation of free speech.
Little Rock, Arkansas, takes its fines against honking hooligans to a new level, fining offending motorists up to $1,000 in some cases.
Even self-driving cars have issues with excessive noises, as San Francisco residents discovered during a sleepless night.
Auditory displays of road rage could be more costly than you think (stock image)[/caption]
