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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Politics and Elections Education Environment State News Nation - World Obituaries Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Varsity 541 College Sports Pro Sports Community Sports Business Latest Stories Real Estate News People In Business Transportation Agriculture Opinion Latest Editorials Letters to the Editor Guest Opinions Lifestyle Latest stories Food Home and Garden Health Hiking Biking Faith Milestones and Achievements Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Theater Music Community Events Dining Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Missing Ashland teenager reportedly spotted near Dunsmuir ... Our View: Waiting for someone else to step up ... Council considers end to prohibition in city parks ... Missing Ashland teenager reportedly spotted near Dunsmuir ... Our View: Waiting for someone else to step up ... Council considers end to prohibition in city parks ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: No set rules for noisy car chirps and honks MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 30, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Nov. 30, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News I wonder if some of the newer cars must honk the horn when the car is locked. I have been startled off my cane in a parking lot, sitting quietly in church and even hopping on my couch when someone's car honks suddenly. Is it automatic, or are some trying to get attention? Are they just proud that they can push a button? — Signed "Can You Hear Me Now," via dropped-off note   Much like those hypersensitive car alarms warning neighbors blocks away of semi-trucks and wind gusts, cars that conspicuously lock themselves seem to be another needless annoyance in our modern world. We researched the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, the regulations enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that oversee minute details of vehicles sold in the United States such as steering wheel locks and the automatic transmission gear selector shift order.  We were hoping we'd find that newer vehicles must abide by some sort of regulation regarding how they confirm they've been locked. Unfortunately there's no such regulation, so it's up to vehicle manufacturers to decide whether the car leaves the factory set on silent or "parking lot cane-startling." Most cars that default to an audible confirmation offer ways to lock silently. Some of those ways are simple. Most newer Honda, Ford and Chrysler models merely blip their turn signals if you press the "lock" button once, and honk the horn only when pressed a second time. Locking the doors quietly in other vehicles can be more cryptic. Instructions for disabling the default piezoelectric lock chirp in many late model Toyotas are a bit too complicated for our little column, and should probably be left to the dealer or the whiz kid down the street. If this brand of noise pollution is a cause you'd like to take up, you'd hardly be alone. We found North Carolina non-profit organization Noise Free America has set up local chapters in 27 states, although Oregon has yet to be one of them. Similarly, the website SilencetheHorns.org is a project that seeks to "eliminate non-emergency honking at its source." MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 30, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501