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what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: neednewhorns ()
Date: March 17, 2009 10:42PM

what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?

the service station safety inspector told me that there's
no restriction as far as the state is concerned. as long
as they are not train horns. :)

however, I'm wondering if there are any Fairfax County laws
on this subject?

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: newnewhorns ()
Date: March 17, 2009 10:44PM

for example, are these horns legal? they're made by Hella, rated at 118db.

from Aamzon website:

http://www.amazon.com/Hella-SuperTone-Horn-Kit-118/dp/B000CRZXPI


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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: trogdor! ()
Date: March 17, 2009 11:20PM

Bottom line is that if it's not an OEM horn, it has to be approved by the Superintendent of the Department of State Police.

His contact information is here: http://www.vsp.state.va.us/superintendent.shtm
You might ask him (or more likely, his assistant(s)) if the horn is on the list of approved horns. Good luck on that. In short, I'd say the horns shown above have a snowball's chance in hell of being on that list.


§ 46.2-1060. Illegal sirens, whistles, etc.; unlawful use of warning devices; exceptions.

It shall be unlawful for any vehicle to be equipped with or for any person to use on any vehicle any siren or exhaust, compression or spark plug whistle, or horn except as may be authorized in this title. It shall be unlawful for any vehicle operated on a public highway to be equipped with any warning device that is not of a type that has been approved by the Superintendent. It shall further be unlawful for any person at any time to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning or to make any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device. However, vehicles of common carriers or extraordinarily large and heavy vehicles may be equipped with such type of warning device as the Superintendent may require or permit.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this article, a siren, bell, or supplemental horn may be used on a vehicle as a noisemaker for an alarm system if the device is installed so as to prohibit actuation of the system by the driver while the vehicle is in motion.

(Code 1950, § 46-290; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-284; 1962, c. 146; 1970, c. 283; 1989, c. 727.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2009 11:22PM by trogdor!.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: chinatownbus ()
Date: March 18, 2009 12:44AM

How strict are the police on these issues in Fairfax?

trogdor! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bottom line is that if it's not an OEM horn, it
> has to be approved by the Superintendent of the
> Department of State Police.
>
> His contact information is here:
> http://www.vsp.state.va.us/superintendent.shtm
> You might ask him (or more likely, his
> assistant(s)) if the horn is on the list of
> approved horns. Good luck on that. In short,
> I'd say the horns shown above have a snowball's
> chance in hell of being on that list.
>
>
> § 46.2-1060. Illegal sirens, whistles, etc.;
> unlawful use of warning devices; exceptions.
>
> It shall be unlawful for any vehicle to be
> equipped with or for any person to use on any
> vehicle any siren or exhaust, compression or spark
> plug whistle, or horn except as may be authorized
> in this title. It shall be unlawful for any
> vehicle operated on a public highway to be
> equipped with any warning device that is not of a
> type that has been approved by the Superintendent.
> It shall further be unlawful for any person at any
> time to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable
> warning or to make any unnecessary or unreasonably
> loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other
> warning device. However, vehicles of common
> carriers or extraordinarily large and heavy
> vehicles may be equipped with such type of warning
> device as the Superintendent may require or
> permit.
>
> Notwithstanding the provisions of this article, a
> siren, bell, or supplemental horn may be used on a
> vehicle as a noisemaker for an alarm system if the
> device is installed so as to prohibit actuation of
> the system by the driver while the vehicle is in
> motion.
>
> (Code 1950, § 46-290; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-284;
> 1962, c. 146; 1970, c. 283; 1989, c. 727.)

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Honkey ()
Date: March 18, 2009 06:37AM

What a great idea! Thanks! I'm gonna get one that will wake up a graveyard.
The next time some crazy beotch at the Super-H blocks traffic for 20 minutes
waiting for an up-front parking spot, I'm gonna scare the living crap out of
her! Just tried it with my standard Civic horn and it didnt bother her a bit
that I was leaning on it. Yesssss!!!!!

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: dono ()
Date: March 18, 2009 07:24AM

If you are going loud I would avoid the red paint on the horn. They make air horns for cars if you really want to get attention...

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: March 18, 2009 07:36AM

Check out Hornblasters.com for some real decibel power.... some of these videos are really funny...

http://www.hornblasters.com/video.php

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Bonfire ()
Date: March 18, 2009 08:24AM

As a former inspector, as long as the horn worked, press the button it sounds, release the button it stops, I would pass it.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: neednewhorns ()
Date: March 18, 2009 09:00AM

these are the horns I think I'll get... no need for car horns...
only bull horns for me car...

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: caffeind ()
Date: March 18, 2009 12:20PM

I totally need that horn. Honda made Civics with an awful sense of humor - they're so weak that's it's comical when I have to honk at someone on the road. Like, it's embarrassing.

- - -
http://bothsidesofthefence.wordpress.com
Because picking one side requires making a decision.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Gaston ()
Date: March 18, 2009 02:46PM

caffeind Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I totally need that horn. Honda made Civics with
> an awful sense of humor - they're so weak that's
> it's comical when I have to honk at someone on the
> road. Like, it's embarrassing.



here's how to do it properly on a Civic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae6ekTICvrk



and here's how to do it, if you want your Civic to give someone a heart attack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjycPit1DPo&feature=related

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Honkey ()
Date: March 18, 2009 03:02PM

Gaston Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> caffeind Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I totally need that horn. Honda made Civics
> with
> > an awful sense of humor - they're so weak
> that's
> > it's comical when I have to honk at someone on
> the
> > road. Like, it's embarrassing.
>
>
>
> here's how to do it properly on a Civic:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae6ekTICvrk
>
>
>
> and here's how to do it, if you want your Civic to
> give someone a heart attack:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjycPit1DPo&feature
> =related


Typical Japanese engineering for you. First you have to put it on a rack
and remove the entire front bumper just to replace a horn. Stupid.
They do this on purpose just to bring you back to a dealer or repair
shop if you dont have a place to do the work.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: MrMephisto ()
Date: March 18, 2009 03:24PM

Gaston Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> and here's how to do it, if you want your Civic to
> give someone a heart attack:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjycPit1DPo&feature
> =related

I guarantee that there has never been a vagina in that car.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Coreben ()
Date: March 18, 2009 04:14PM

MrMephisto Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guarantee that there has never been a vagina in
> that car.


that's for sure... :)

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Been There Done That ()
Date: September 16, 2011 12:53PM

trogdor! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bottom line is that if it's not an OEM horn, it
> has to be approved by the Superintendent of the
> Department of State Police.
>
> His contact information is here:
> http://www.vsp.state.va.us/superintendent.shtm
> You might ask him (or more likely, his
> assistant(s)) if the horn is on the list of
> approved horns. Good luck on that. In short,
> I'd say the horns shown above have a snowball's
> chance in hell of being on that list.

True, but the problem is there is not an approved list for horns. Now, this does not mean any particular horn is illegal. If everything had to be explicitly approved then your OEM horn would be illegal too.

So, how do you know if a horn is illegal or not? Here is what the VA State Po-Po website says: (here: http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Safety_Approved-Equipment-List.shtm)

"While the below listed equipment has undergone Virginia’s approval requirements, there is however other aftermarket vehicle equipment from reputable manufacturers not listed here that has already met Society of Automotive Engineers, the American National Standards Institute Incorporated, and/or Department of Transportation approval requirements making its use on motor vehicles legal in Virginia pursuant to Virginia Code 46.2-1005."

VA Code 46.2-1005 simply gives the Superintendent authority to issue blanket approval if a device complies with, "Society of Automotive Engineers, the American National Standards Institute, Incorporated, or the regulations of the federal Department of Transportation."

So, now your the answer to your question is very simple. If the device is certified for motor vehicle use by one of SAE, ANSI, or DOT, you are good-to-go. If not then you're SOL.

Note however that you can still be ticketed for illegal use, as defined under VA statute 46.2-1060 where it states, "It shall further be unlawful for any person at any time to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning or to make any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device."

If you ever run into a problem in VA, you can cite the VSP website and quote I mentioned and VA statute 46.2-1059, which reads, "Every motor vehicle driven on a highway shall be equipped with a working horn capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions for at least 200 feet." i.e., if you DO NOT have a horn you're in violation. In fact you'll be unable to get your annual vehicle inspection completed.

Bottom Line: If the device is type approved (SAE, ANSI, or DOT) AND you're not an ass hat, then you'll be fine. :)

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Kilton ()
Date: September 16, 2011 12:58PM

It's amazing how much time idiots will spend worrying about nonsense.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Kablooey ()
Date: September 16, 2011 01:17PM

My reading of the law says "If the horn is okay, it's okay" meaning a truck horn - a just fine horn per "the regs" - on a moped is just fine.

I want to put a truck horn on a moped...

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: eesh ()
Date: September 16, 2011 01:21PM

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Check out Hornblasters.com for some real decibel
> power.... some of these videos are really
> funny...
>
> http://www.hornblasters.com/video.php



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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Been There Done That ()
Date: September 16, 2011 02:19PM

BTW, to answer the original question... per the SAE standard for sirens the limit is around 125db or so. I don't have the appropriate standard in front of me, but it's in that ballpark. Might be 130, but I don't think it's that high. It is at least 120, so I split the diff since I can't remember verbatim. :)

But like I said before. Don't be an ass hat. Fairfax County's finest can still write you a ticket and then you have to prove to the judge you're compliant. The docs from SAE will cost you as much or more than the ticket, and then you still need docs from manufacturer to correlate.

Please don't act like those inconsiderate dick heads in the posted video.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: 1995hoo ()
Date: September 16, 2011 03:04PM

As others have said, this is a question of state law, not county law. Virginia is pretty restrictive as to how much leeway it gives the local jurisdictions in regulating things, and when it comes to equipment on cars they don't give any because the state safety inspection program is regulated by the State Police.

The basic rule of thumb is that if you don't make a jerk of yourself, you shouldn't have any problems. But if you drive through a residential area late at night blowing your horn, you deserve whatever ticket or summons you receive, regardless of whether you're using an aftermarket horn or the OEM horn. Doesn't matter if it's a residential area with annoying speed humps and you think blowing the horn late at night is a way to get back at the people who wanted the humps put in—blowing the horn is still a dickish move.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: UUVCb ()
Date: September 16, 2011 10:02PM


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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Been There Done That ()
Date: September 20, 2011 07:02PM

Totally agree with 1995hoo...

1995hoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As others have said, this is a question of state
> law, not county law. Virginia is pretty
> restrictive as to how much leeway it gives the
> local jurisdictions in regulating things, and when
> it comes to equipment on cars they don't give any
> because the state safety inspection program is
> regulated by the State Police.
>
> The basic rule of thumb is that if you don't make
> a jerk of yourself, you shouldn't have any
> problems. But if you drive through a residential
> area late at night blowing your horn, you deserve
> whatever ticket or summons you receive, regardless
> of whether you're using an aftermarket horn or the
> OEM horn. Doesn't matter if it's a residential
> area with annoying speed humps and you think
> blowing the horn late at night is a way to get
> back at the people who wanted the humps put
> in—blowing the horn is still a dickish move.

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: Been There Done That ()
Date: September 20, 2011 07:03PM

Unfortunately, this stuff all over YouBube just makes that particular problem worse, since these nut jobs think they will have a wider audience.

UUVCb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>

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Re: what's the loudest car horn allowed in Fairfax County?
Posted by: DOesntMatter ()
Date: September 20, 2011 10:33PM

If it's a loud annoying horn and not OEM, you'll be charged with disturbing the peace. If it's loud enough to cause a severe reaction, scare people, and potentially call an accident, you could be charged with reckless endangerment.

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