What is the penalty for honking in a no-honking zone?

[Brantley]

Honking in a no-honking zone will result in a certain fine, the specific amount of which depends on local regulations. Below are some details regarding the Road Traffic Safety Law: 1. Introduction: In addition to administrative penalties, the traffic management department of the public security authority implements a cumulative scoring system for road traffic safety violations by motor vehicle drivers, with a scoring cycle of 12 months. 2. Regulations: If a driver accumulates 12 points within a scoring cycle, the traffic management department of the public security authority will detain their motor vehicle driving license. The driver must then participate in the study of road traffic safety laws and regulations and take an examination as required. If the examination is passed, the points will be cleared, and the driving license will be returned; if the examination is not passed, the driver must continue to participate in study and examination.

[StCaroline]

I once witnessed someone honking in a no-honking zone. One time at the entrance of the downtown hospital, the car in front started a bit slow, and the car behind gave a quick honk—immediately pulled over by traffic police. Nowadays, cameras can also catch illegal honking, with fines starting from at least 100 yuan, and penalty point deductions vary by region—some deduct 1 point, others 3. I remember once dropping my kid off at school, and the electronic sign at the gate directly displayed the license plate number and fine amount. Even electric scooters aren’t spared now for reckless honking. Veteran drivers will tell you: when you see that blue-and-white no-honking sign, keep your hands off the horn. In traffic jams, it’s better to wait an extra ten seconds than to mess with your wallet.

[Judy]

I've studied the specific regulations on this matter. According to the Road Traffic Safety Law, honking in no-horn zones constitutes a violation of prohibition signs, with penalty standards determined locally. For instance, Shanghai imposes a 100 yuan fine without points deduction, while Shenzhen applies the maximum penalty of 500 yuan. More troublesome is that after the new regulations took effect, some cities have deployed sonar positioning capture devices that automatically identify honking locations. There was a case where a driver honked in a school zone section, resulting not only in a fine but also mandatory participation in traffic assistance duties. My suggestion is to develop the habit of slowing down and observing at intersections - if you really need to alert the vehicle ahead, you can flash your headlights twice instead.

[StLevi]

Last time, a friend honked in a no-horn zone and got lectured for quite a while. The traffic police emphasized that in key areas such as hospitals, schools, and residential neighborhoods, penalties for honking are more severe than on regular roads. Nowadays, many cities have even included electric vehicle horns in their management scope. I checked the data: Beijing captured 210,000 illegal honking incidents last year, and Qingdao's Zhongshan Road installed 40 sets of sonar equipment. Those caught all received fines. If you really need to alert pedestrians, shouting out the window is safer than honking.

[AdalynnMarie]

The horn sound in a no-honking zone is essentially an alarm for fines. I once witnessed traffic police handling a case where a novice driver, in a hurry, honked outside a children's hospital and ended up with a 200-yuan fine and penalty points. In practical driving, remember three key points: watch for blue-background prohibition signs by the roadside; use hazard lights to signal slow-moving vehicles; and be especially cautious in older urban areas, where enforcement is often the strictest. A netizen once complained after being fined that their honk cost them half a month's worth of gas money.