Please don’t honk. We know you’re there.

One thing a motorist often will do that is perceived as a warning to the bicyclist that you’re approaching is the little honk of the horn. While it’s a good notification, it’s an unnecessary one. It’s also terribly dangerous.

As road users, we’re fully aware that we’ll be passed by approaching vehicles. We listen for the engine and the tires on the pavement. The louder those two get, the closer a vehicle is.

The part that many motorists do not understand is that when a horn sounds very close from behind, the bicyclist’s initial reaction is to turn our heads in the direction of the sound. Think of someone yelling your name or your dog barking at you. You immediately turn towards the sound.

Why is this bad? For the most part, a bicycle follows the path that the head sees. In other words, when you honk and we turn our heads towards your approaching vehicle, it’s very likely we’ll drift in the direction our head is turning- which is directly into your path of travel and the fender of your vehicle.

We know we’ll encounter vehicles. We expect and listen for them. And the sound is all we need.