Security Expert and Public Safety Advocate Moruf Yusuf, popularly known as Ojogbon, has urged motorists to use vehicle horns responsibly, warning that unnecessary honking in sensitive locations creates noise pollution, causes unnecessary panic and disrupts public peace.
In Series #115 of The Secure Mind, titled "Places Where You Should Not Use Your Vehicle Horn," Yusuf explained that vehicle horns are safety devices intended to alert other road users to potential danger, not instruments for expressing impatience or frustration in traffic.
According to him, indiscriminate use of horns, particularly in environments where silence is essential, can negatively affect vulnerable individuals and disturb important activities.
He advised drivers to refrain from sounding their horns around hospitals, where patients require a calm environment for recovery; schools, where excessive noise can disrupt learning and endanger children; places of worship during religious services; court premises, where judicial proceedings are conducted; and military and other security facilities, where unnecessary noise may interfere with security operations.
Yusuf also encouraged motorists to avoid excessive horn use in residential neighbourhoods, especially at night, noting that unnecessary noise disturbs residents, including children, elderly persons and individuals who are ill.
He stressed that patience, adherence to traffic regulations and defensive driving are more effective ways of navigating traffic than constant honking. According to him, the horn should only be used when it is necessary to prevent an accident or warn another road user of imminent danger.
The security expert further called on transport operators and commercial drivers to cultivate disciplined driving habits, stating that responsible road behaviour contributes to safer roads, healthier communities and greater respect among motorists.
He urged road users to remember that courtesy and consideration are essential elements of road safety, adding that every driver has a role to play in creating a more peaceful traffic environment.
"A responsible driver uses the horn only when safety requires it, not out of impatience."
Moruf Yusuf, also known as Ojogbon, is a Security Expert and Public Safety Advocate committed to promoting security awareness through The Secure Mind series. He is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (ANIPR), Member of the Institute of Security, Nigeria (MISN), Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration (FCAI), Fellow of the Institute of Information Management (FIIM), and Member of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (MSPSP).
He concludes every edition with his enduring message:
"Just be good. Reflect. Stay alert."
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