I have not heard cars giving an audible indication of being locked. The telltale chirp chirp is not heard. Is it mandatory that this be turned off here?

It's not considered polite to sound your own horn in these parts.

Isn't that only on adverts?

I don't think I've ever heard a real car do that.

The noise of the door locks and/or the indicators flashing should be enough for anyone to realise that their car has locked/unlocked.

Whilst beeping cars are common in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand (and other anglo countries), in central Europe it is regarded as noise pollution and frowned upon.

The Germans frown upon it so much it is legally not allowed (I believe)

And I think the Swiss might legislatively frown on it as well (but not sure if legally not allowed, or just not made available so as not to disturb the peace)

Are car alarms allowed to go off after 10pm and on Sundays ?

I think I have a cunning plan

...no wonder the Swiss wander so aimlessly in parking lots (and elsewhere). They can't sound the car's alarm so they can home in on its location.

None of my cars have beeped instead the lights flashed to indicate the doors were locked or opened...

Oh, I always thought they were looking for the poorly parked cars, so they could put a note on the windscreen.

It's not permitted. Also the car alarm must not be over a certain volume and cannot sound for more than 30 seconds. Makes the place much more peaceful, dontcha think?

Surely you can hear the doors locking?

I can understand the need for an audible 'beep' in a noisy city, but I don't think anything here comes close to that.


To be honest, I hadn't even noticed that cars don't have that 'beep' here...... it's kind of nice without it

I am vaguely of the opinion that if you don't know where you parked your car, you shouldn't be driving one...

On another note, nothing helps a thief more than knowing which car the keys he has swipped work on...

The kind of person who needs a car locking beep also needs the keypad tone for their phone on to tell them they are AKTUERLY typing... Both people are in real danger of being looked at as if they were dog poo on someone's shoe. Nothing more, of course, as I wouldn't know how to explain just how idiotic it is to have your phone click/beep every time you touch it...

I thought the car alarms / locking devices that beeped, chirped and flashed when armed were just the cheapo ones you fit yourself. The factory fitted and high quality ones are silent and non-flashing.

I usually associate the bleeping and chirping with cars like the Escort XR3i or an Opel Manta...

Sorry to breathe new life into an old thread, but the replies were really clever!

I have turned off the audible on my car so that it simply flashes when locked. As for the audible being a good way to find one's car in a car park, and the suggestion that such memory tests should be a condition precedent for obtaining a driver's permit, my only retort is that I am still puzzled by braille on drive through banking machines in Canada.

You just put me in mind of my dear friend Cynthia, God bless her socks, she truly believed, the cats eyes on the roads were to aid the blind!!!

Not so much of a mystery once you have considered two things. First, it is much more expensive two produce two distinct set of keypads. Second, a blind person sitting in the back seat of a car may want to use the ATM.