car design encouraging road rage

[sussex2]

I think for most people road rage has already set in before they even consider the horn.

As a related point, how often and in what circumstances do people on here use the horn? What factors lead you to use or not use the horn?

As as signal of my presence and nothing else.
Because of some peoples delicate natures I am always prepared to raise a hand or smile afterwards.
I do wonder though why small cars which are probably the most vulnerable always have the tinniest sounding horns.

A part of car design that is guaranteed to cause road rage in myself is the daft positioning of heater and air conditioning controls.
It seems to me that very few cars have them positioned so they may be adjusted without taking your eyes off the road; some are so fiddly that a five year olds fingers would have trouble with them.

[Graham Wright]

I manufacture horns for the Morgan Car Company (to their design).

To activate the horn needs considerable pressure and a "gentle beep" for the little old lady situation is impossible.

By contrast, I once had a Citroen 2400 which had two horns, both dash mounted. One gave a gentle beep, the other a strident tone.

A touch sensitive horn press should not be impossible to design. Some electronic organs are so fitted (although they tend to be a bit more stable than a car in motion!).

[onlinegenie]

It's the 21st century! Why can't the horn be voice activated so the driver can keep both hands on the wheel?

My car has the horn on a stalk - easy to press when needed. My wife's car has it in the centre - I usually manage to get a sound out of it at the third attempt.

[ericonabike]

Voice activated horn! Love that idea - being able to say 'honk' and hear the sound replicated outside. Perhaps it would then be possible to adjust the volume and tone to suit the occasion - perhaps a muttered 'parp' for the 'pedestrian on kerb' up to '$?!**!!' for the side road incomer who just won't stop coming.

Seriously though, this does seem to be an area where design has lagged behind safety. Something the IAM might wish to pursue?

[sussex2]

Voice activated horn! Love that idea - being able to say 'honk' and hear the sound replicated outside. Perhaps it would then be possible to adjust the volume and tone to suit the occasion - perhaps a muttered 'parp' for the 'pedestrian on kerb' up to '$?!**!!' for the side road incomer who just won't stop coming.

Seriously though, this does seem to be an area where design has lagged behind safety. Something the IAM might wish to pursue?

Oh no! We could have horns like ring tones on phones do you think What is amusing to the owner (of the phone) is generally naffness itself to everyone else.
Soon we'll be having electric cars making computer generated noises so we can hear the damn things coming. I dread to think of some of the 'tunes' people will find amusing; while everyone else simply wants to batter the thing!

[Horse]

I used to have a VW Golf that would auto sound the horn on bumpy roads or sleeping policemen type humps. It never produced road rage but I got lots of waves from people I didn't even know

On the bike, I would occasionally give a horn 'toot!' to attract the attention of someone who hadn't seen me (for safety purposes, I'm not a poseur ) - but follow it with a cheery 'Hi there'-type wave. Leaves them wondering, rather than angry at being tooted at

[onlinegenie]

Voice activated horn! Love that idea - being able to say 'honk' and hear the sound replicated outside. Perhaps it would then be possible to adjust the volume and tone to suit the occasion - perhaps a muttered 'parp' for the 'pedestrian on kerb' up to '$?!**!!' for the side road incomer who just won't stop coming.

Seriously though, this does seem to be an area where design has lagged behind safety. Something the IAM might wish to pursue?

Oh no! We could have horns like ring tones on phones do you think What is amusing to the owner (of the phone) is generally naffness itself to everyone else.
Soon we'll be having electric cars making computer generated noises so we can hear the damn things coming. I dread to think of some of the 'tunes' people will find amusing; while everyone else simply wants to batter the thing!

I certainly wasn't suggesting horns that sound like ring tones! Just a conventional horn sound but activated by voice so the driver can keep both hands on the wheel.

Electric cars making computer-generated noises so pedestrians can hear them coming - haven't they already got them in Japan?

Ring tones that are amusing to the owner but naff to everyone else. On my 52nd birthday I changed my ring tone to Young Man Blues by The Who. It amused me and anyone who considers it naff has got no musical taste!

[sussex2]

'Electric cars making computer-generated noises so pedestrians can hear them coming - haven't they already got them in Japan?'

If they sound like an Alfa boxster engine then fair enough. If it's a horrid little beep-beep then out comes the baseball bat

[revian]

Just install a megaphone... one can whisper to the genteel or....SHOUT.!
Totally variable to meet the need. Advanced horn for advanced drivers.

[dombooth]

Soon we'll be having electric cars making computer generated noises so we can hear the damn things coming. I dread to think of some of the 'tunes' people will find amusing; while everyone else simply wants to batter the thing!

Don't tempt me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5wmHAUOVy8

Dom

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

The Boxster horn boss is ridiculously stiff, making it near impossible to give a gentle toot. Practice is improving my technique but it relies on quite a hefty punch to bring it off - no way it can be done without releasing the rim of the wheel.

[sussex2]

Soon we'll be having electric cars making computer generated noises so we can hear the damn things coming. I dread to think of some of the 'tunes' people will find amusing; while everyone else simply wants to batter the thing!

Don't tempt me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5wmHAUOVy8

Dom

Everyones taste in music is a blessing to them and a curse to all those around them...

[jonquirk]

I used to own an Alfasud. This had some curiosities in the functions of the stalks eg the right stalk controlled heater fan, wipers, washers and horn. The good thing was that pulling the left stalk towards the wheel flashed the headlamps and pulling the right stalk sounded the horn. In a situation the natural tendency is to grab both stalks thus flashing and hooting simultaneously.