FRANKLIN, Wis. — Seth Yust has been a mechanic for many years and he said on occasion he will see customers come into Franklin Automotive with issues relating to their horns.
"First thing they notice is their key fob doesn't make an audible noise. After that, normal diagnostic shows the horn is being inoperative," said Yust.
In Wisconsin, state law requires drivers out on the highway to have a proper working horn. Yust said it's an important safety tool, especially during the winter months.
"We have a lot of snowy roads and sometimes we can’t make that stop," Yust said. "Putting the horn or some type of audible response letting people know hey, look around something's going on, pay attention to me I’m not gonna be able to make this intersection."
According to defensivedriving.com there are good reasons to honk your horn: To alert a driver who is about to hit you, to alert a pedestrian that they are in danger, or to alert another car of a traffic signal.
"You never know when something is gonna happen and you’re on the road," said Yust.
It's actually illegal to use your horn in scenarios other than a reasonable warning.
"In anger, you shouldn’t be lay on the horn," said Yust.
He said if you do notice your horn is not working properly, it's best to get it fixed right away.
"Don’t let it go. To be honest, most people's horns are tied into their car alarm system so there’s a safety aspect there. When the vehicle is armed and the car alarm is going off, it will let people know, hey something else is going on here," said Yust.
47.38 Horns and warning devices:
(1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon a highway unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet, but no person shall at any time use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning or make any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any siren or compression or exhaust whistle.
(3) Any vehicle may be equipped with a theft alarm signal device if such device is so arranged that it cannot be used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal.
The fine for this offense is $86.20 and is a 0 point violation.
According to MPD, this violation has been complained by members of on the TSU website when operators of vehicles use the vehicles horn as a doorbell for residences, where a driver fails to exit the vehicle, approach the residence and ring the doorbell of that residence.
