What is the difference between short honk and long honk?

One short honk: a friendly greeting or acknowledgement. Two short honks: a warning to pedestrians or other drivers. One long honk: a warning of danger or a hazard on the road. Two long honks: a signal to other drivers to pay attention or to start moving.



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A quick tap of the horn may express a polite “excuse me,” whereas a long, drawn-out honk might urge a fellow driver to quickly change what they are doing.

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Normal tooting doesn't do much damage to a horn, but prolonged honks (several minutes) will overheat the coils, causing the insulation to burn off and make stinky smoke. Then the coil wires (now sans insulation) short together increasing the current through the horn until the fuse finally pops.

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Four short blasts on the horn is sometimes called the “blind bend signal.” It can be used to indicate you are approaching a bend in a river where oncoming traffic might not see you. It can also mean you are leaving your dock or slip.

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One prolonged blast at intervals of not more than two minutes is the signal used by power-driven vessels when underway.

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