united-states police
Is it illegal to honk at a police officer in the USA?
<p>Suppose a police car is stopped at a green light and not moving. Is it illegal for me to honk at him? What if I can't drive around him?</p>
<p>What if it happens to be a civilian vehicle and a plainclothes officer? Is it illegal in this case?</p>
<p>I see several videos of uniformed and plainclothes officers stopping cars for honking at them.</p>
<p>As a context I'm giving a link to this video:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAl2UBSgCZU" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAl2UBSgCZU</a></p>
<p>I find this video shocking behavior behavior from the police. But I want to know legally what's allowed and not allowed. Is the police legally allowed to stop at a yield sign for police related business which is a phone call?</p>

<p><a href="/questions/tagged/england-and-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="tag-england-and-wales-tooltip-container">england-and-wales</a></p>
<p>In England, the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158#rule112" rel="noreferrer">use of a horn when stationary</a> is restricted solely to advise other road users of your presence &quot;<em>at times of danger</em>&quot;. Not spotting that the light has gone green would certainly <strong>not</strong> fit that description.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Use of audible warning instruments</strong></p>
<p>99.—(1) Subject to the following paragraphs, no person shall sound, or cause or permit to be sounded, any horn, gong, bell or siren fitted to or carried on a vehicle which is—</p>
<p>(a) stationary on a road, at any time, other than at times of danger due to another moving vehicle on or near the road...</p>
<p><sub><Sup><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/99/made" rel="noreferrer">The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986</a></sub></Sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The policeman would be well within his rights and duties to provide you with a fixed penalty notice of £30.</p>

<p><a href="/questions/tagged/germany" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;germany&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;germany&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="tag-germany-tooltip-container">germany</a></p>
<p>In Germany, the horn can only be used for two reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li>As a signal for overtaking <em>outside of city limits only</em>.</li>
<li>As a warning signal for imminent danger.</li>
</ul>
<p>So, in the situation described in the question, it would be illegal to honk at the police officer, but the fact that they are a police officer is actually irrelevant – it would be illegal to honk in that situation, <em>period</em>.</p>

<p><a href="/questions/tagged/france" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;france&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;france&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="tag-france-tooltip-container">france</a> : Yes, unless</p>
<ul>
<li>you are outside a city</li>
<li>it is daytime</li>
<li>you can convince the cop or the judge that doing so is a &quot;necessary warning for other road users&quot;. Not my specialty, but barring extraordinary circumstances, I expect that defense to fail.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006074228/LEGISCTA000006177132" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Code de la Route, articles R416-1 and R416-2</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Hors agglomération, l'usage des avertisseurs sonores n'est autorisé que pour donner les avertissements nécessaires aux autres usagers de la route.</p>
<p>En agglomération, l'usage de l'avertisseur sonore n'est autorisé qu'en cas de danger immédiat.</p>
<p>(...)</p>
<p>De nuit, les avertissements doivent être donnés par l'allumage intermittent soit des feux de croisement, soit des feux de route, les signaux sonores ne devant être utilisés qu'en cas d'absolue nécessité.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Outside city limits, klaxon may be used solely to give necessary warning to other road users. <em>[For instance, when driving around a mountainous road, you are supposed to honk when approaching a curve without visibility, so as to warn drivers coming ahead.]</em></p>
<p>Within city limits, klaxon may be used only in case of immediate danger.</p>
<p>(...)</p>
<p>At night, signals must be given by flashing headlights, klaxons must only be used in case of absolute necessity.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Failing to respect those rules is a second-class contravention (currently set at €35). Technically, those apply to <em>any</em> vehicle, including bikes (even if bike klaxons are much less noisy than car klaxons).</p>
<p>While <em>in theory</em> it is irrelevant whether there is a cop in the car in front, behind, or sideways of you... I imagine less than 0.1% of wrong klaxon uses are penalized, and all of those occur when a cop was on-site.</p>
