City without car horns, determination will bring results

I was about to turn left with my signal on when I suddenly stopped driving due to loud honks from behind. I thought the car behind was going smoothly and was honking to not let me pass, but I waited and waited but still didn't see the car pass. Looking through the rearview mirror, the car behind was slowing down waiting for me to turn. So I felt safe to turn, but after turning, I still felt strange, why did it slow down for the car in front to turn, then honk loudly?!!

It is worth mentioning that such situations are not unique, but happen all the time. It is not just me, but I am sure many others have encountered them at times.

I know an old doctor who owns a car, but because of his age and health, whenever he goes a little far, he hires a private driver. Once, I went on a business trip with him with a colleague. Sitting in the car, he kept reminding the driver to honk the horn, honk... hard. He "instructed" the driver: "What do manufacturers make horns for? To honk them, what else! When they hear the horn, the elderly, children, and motorists in front... will hear and avoid it. If you honk them repeatedly and they don't see you avoiding them, then stop and check. If you see that it's an electric pole, then you should avoid it. Why don't you honk when it's so dangerous?" His reasoning made us laugh, wondering if many people think the same way, honking their horns on the street, making the streets noisy?!

Actually, saying that you should not honk your horn at all is a bit extreme, because after all, the horn still has its positive features. Honking to warn when the car passes through blind spots, honking when there are people in front but your mind is elsewhere... is necessary, and can help limit traffic accidents. However, overusing it, or honking it becomes a habit, an inertia, honking when it is not really necessary, not in the right place, is not advisable. Honking your horn indiscriminately is even more undesirable, like the case we just mentioned above. Honking like that is not only useless but also causes noise pollution, even disorder and traffic insecurity. There have been many tragic accidents, the cause of which was that the victim was startled by the sound of the horn, leading to falling onto the road and being run over by an oncoming car from behind.

There was once an idea and a desire to build Hue city into a city without car horns. The slogan “Hue- city without car horns!” was chosen to implement the campaign. However, there have been many controversies, and many reasons, leading to the results of this campaign still… not being successful. However, “city without car horns” is still the wish and hope of many people, especially for Hue- a friendly city, a tourist city, a cultural-heritage city, it is even more meaningful.

Haven't had the chance to travel much, but anyone who has been to Laos or Thailand has experienced the feeling of tranquility, even though their traffic - especially in Thailand - is extremely crowded, busy, and has long traffic jams, yet people don't honk their horns, just stay calm, give way to each other to move, and finally get out of the jam together. It saves time, and is also much less frustrating.

The campaign for “horn-free city” should be accompanied by continuous propaganda andeducation to raise awareness and traffic culture in the entire community; Next, we should move towards implementing a horn ban in some areas and routes - of course, the ban must be accompanied by fines - only then can we gradually create a habit and spread this civilized behavior.

There will continue to be many arguments and many excuses as before. However, do not hesitate because of that. All beginnings are difficult, and breaking a habit that has become inertia is never easy. Just start, you will definitely reach the destination, especially when that destination is very civilized, very beneficial and very interesting.

Writing up to here, I suddenly remember the time when the policy of wearing helmets when riding motorbikes was implemented. There were many debates, even protests, but eventually it came to fruition. To the point that now, for many, many people, every time they get on a motorbike, without a helmet, they feel inadequate, feel insecure. “ Hue - the city without horns”, if they decide to do it, it will be like that.

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