Questionnaire survey on vehicle horn use in urban areas of Japan

In Japan, drivers frequently use their vehicle's horn as a signal in various situations such as when passing each other. Furthermore, pedestrians are also tooted at by drivers. Such horn use may result in a noise problem for people nearby. Therefore, a questionnaire survey was carried out to ascertain the current circumstance of vehicle horn use in Kanto and Kansai of Japan. Respondents were asked about the latest or last-remembered case of horn use in various situations of being drivers and pedestrians. With regard to an experience of being tooted at by another driver, the questionnaire included questions relating to the aim of horn use, the timing pattern of the horn, and the respondent's mental reaction. The results for the Kansai area revealed that a single toot and two short toots were frequently used to gain pedestrians' attention, and they aroused negative mental reactions such as the respondent feeling startled or considering the tooting noisy. On the other hand, Kanto results showed that not only short toots but also a long toot were frequently used to gain pedestrians' attention or to alert pedestrians to danger, and they aroused negative mental reactions more frequently than was the case in Kansai. The manner of driver's own horn use is similar among the three areas including Fukuoka in which the previous survey was conducted.