Auxiliary car horn for driver who don't see the light change
Posted by realityinflux@reddit | CrazyIdeas | View on Reddit | 54 comments
Since I'm one of those people who is hesitant to blast my horn at the guy in front of me when the light changes to green and he's still texting or whatever, I'd like a button somewhere within easy reach that activates a little horn that isn't loud enough except for the guy right in front of me, and not rude or angry sounding. Just a couple of taps to make him look up and see the green light.
wbrameld4@reddit
My car already does this, sorta. It doesn't honk at the other car, but It does chime at me if I don't start moving.
pezx@reddit
Does it monitor the light or the car in front of you? Mine will tell me when the car in front drives off, but doesn't help if I'm at the front
wbrameld4@reddit
Yes, it watches the light and bings when it turns green.
Unusual_Entity@reddit
Cars should have a three-way switch for the horn:
Horn 1- old-fashioned "beep beep". Use as you describe.
Horn 2- standard car horn. Use to warn others of your presence who might not have seen you.
Horn 3- ship foghorn/locomotive horn. "You have committed a grievous driving error and I must assault your eardrums in response."
TwistedAirline@reddit
Semi trucks have 2 horns, city horn does little beep and air horn goes HHOOOOONNNNNNKKKKK HOOOOONNNKKK
EightOhms@reddit
I want one that means "hey, I screwed up, my bad".
Unusual_Entity@reddit
We just need a scrolling sign in the back window.
calisthenics05@reddit
https://youtu.be/tVwBTh_L-lY
Magnum_force420@reddit
Nah, every asshat on the road will be using 3 as default
Unusual_Entity@reddit
We fitted a horn to a customer's vehicle, which supposedly had indeed come from an American diesel locomotive. When I asked him about where to put the switch to change between that and the original horn, he looked at me like I'd grown another head and said "Original horn? Nah, take that off!" When we took the vehicle for its inspection, we advised the tester to move it outside before checking the horn.
There is apparently no legal limit in the UK on how loud the horn can be, but it must be a continuous note- so no musical horns or cow moos. The Dukes of Hazzard would find themselves in trouble with their horn (probably among many other things!)
sax3d@reddit
What? No ooga horns either?
a_lost_shadow@reddit
Why stop there. Back in the 90s my cousin was gifted a box with 40ish novelty sounds and a microphone connected to a speaker that mounted under the car. My grandmother loved it, every time she heard a cow moo in the driveway, she knew my cousin had arrived.
PoolMotosBowling@reddit
You can buy novelty horns!
Away_Industry_6892@reddit
A small tap usually does the job. Provided the light has been green for a few seconds.
notwhoiwas43@reddit
The shortest measurable amount of time is the honkosecond. It's the time between the light changing and the second car in line getting on the horn.
realityinflux@reddit (OP)
Why didn't I think of that?
Bitter-Reading-6728@reddit
wait so there's 2 horns? now THAT's a crazy idea
WittyTiccyDavi@reddit
See if you can get an install tech to tap into your alarm-set 'chirp'.
DrunkBuzzard@reddit
I first advocated for the two horn system in cars 45 years ago and no one would listen to me. One polite, courtesy, horn just to let people know and an angry loud obnoxious one for jerks. It’s actually kind of funny because an hour ago. I just had the exact situation where we’ve loved to have the courtesy horn. Some guy in a turbin who wouldn’t turn right on the red light even though it’s perfectly legal and it was absolutely no one coming traffic for over a mile, but he just sat there. He must’ve got his drivers license from the same truck or school. Is that guy in California. Didn’t get mad at him. Just sat and waited my turn, but I wish I could’ve given a polite toot toot. I guess he doesn’t know the rules or can’t speak English, but he should go ahead and learn.
AssignmentFar1038@reddit
What does it matter that the guy was wearing a “turbin”?
Unusual_Entity@reddit
I thought he was driving something exotic, powered by a gas-turbine engine.
Hot-Win2571@reddit
An Airbus is not exotic, nor its being powered by a gas-turbine engine.
Unusual_Entity@reddit
How does an aeroplane come into it?
Crafty_Clarinetist@reddit
Suggests foreigner who might not have been familiar with the legality of turning right on red.
The_Troyminator@reddit
Which is ridiculous. A turban suggests a Dastaar, worn by a Sikh. Sikh is a religion, not a nationality, and many who adhere to Sikhism in the US were born here.
BoxedMushrooms@reddit
I forget all the time, because yep I have my CDL. Nothing to do with my ability to speak English or know the rules.
Anxious_Cry_855@reddit
Excuse my ignorance, I dont have a CDL. Are you prohibited from turning right on red while driving a truck?
BoxedMushrooms@reddit
You can't in school busses (which I drove. I don't know why reddit recommended this subreddit to me, I'm not a trucker either).
The_Troyminator@reddit
A right on red is permitted in most cases, but never required. If they aren’t turning right, it could be that they see a hazard you don’t see. Or they just may not be comfortable turning on a red. It’s perfectly legal not to turn on red.
You need to learn patience.
the_gwyd@reddit
I think they should do what some European buses do: add a bell. The drivers use the horn if there is imminent danger, but if they need a car or pedestrian to nudge out the way, or are just saying hi, they use the nice gentle bell sound (it's electronically synthesised rather than an actual bell)
Hot-Win2571@reddit
Sounds fine. Locomotive horn, and locomotive bell.
R_FireJohnson@reddit
I love the way you’ve worded this. UK English is undoubtedly my favorite version of the language to read
BoxedMushrooms@reddit
I'm in favor of bringing an actual bell back. That's cute and I'm here for it.
lizardingloudly@reddit
I need a third one for apologizing when it's me at the light not moving.
Hot-Win2571@reddit
"FELDERCARB!"
ShinySpeedDemon@reddit
Imma install a K5LA for people who don't move at traffic lights
realityinflux@reddit (OP)
Overkill? I said in a similar post that I bought a horn off an old car with a 6V system and hooked it up to my 12V car, and it was surprisingly loud and alarming. Everyone said it would burn out, but it never did.
ShinySpeedDemon@reddit
If they pay attention to the light, it won't be a problem
CrownLexicon@reddit
Thats why i love the horn in my truck. Its light enough that I can do a couple quick taps. My work truck's horn is much less sensitive, so any press is loud and long.
couldathrowaway@reddit
Meh, ill continue using my air horn
projectjarico@reddit
Just get over it? If the person in front of you is stopped when traffic is moving honk at them. They are driving right now and should be doing so in a predictable way. They are being rude,honk at them.
realityinflux@reddit (OP)
You have so-ooo missed the point of this crazy idea.
Environmental-Gap380@reddit
Around here if you go right away once the light is green, there’s a decent chance you get t-boned. I boggle at how often people run red lights here (NoVA/DC).
Helga_Geerhart@reddit
I wish cars had three horns with distinct sounds:
Angry horn: use to curse out other drivers when they cut you off, etc. All other drivers know the sound and know they can ignore.
Danger horn: use only to prevent an accident (btw this is actually the only legal use of a horn in my country, but nobody cares). When this sounds, all drivers know that there is immediate danger and to pay extra attention.
You use this one on the highway for example if you see a car swerving onto another lane (driver is on the phone, or asleep, or having a heart attack or whatever). You beep to alert the other drivers to the (dangerous) swerving car and hopefully to alert the driver of the swerving car to the danger.
You can also use this one if you see rubble on the road.
GrahamR12345@reddit
The horn should have a coughing noise…
naruzopsycho@reddit
"Achem"
Valuable-Secret3003@reddit
Just give the horn a little taparoo and you’re all good. No one should feel offended by that. We’ve all been the one in front not paying attention at all green.
Dramatic-Bend179@reddit
Yeah, go for it! Car horns are super easy to install.
010011010110010101@reddit
I’m a tech. I had a customer once (local delivery driver) who came in with the complaint of his horn stopped working.
The airbag module looked like it had been used as a punching bag and he was bitching very loudly about people not moving fast enough when the light turns green. Pretty obvious why his horn didn’t work - testing confirmed the airbag had been beaten to death so much that the horn mechanism underneath was toast.
In short, he had abused his horn to death.
Told him the repair costs of replacing the airbag module (close to $1000 iirc) and he went through the roof and begged me to install a bypass switch in the dash.
I was like, “bro, the universe has revoked your horn privileges and I ain’t giving them back”
He came in a couple months later for an oil change and he had found someone to install an ooh-ooh-gah horn.
Funniest shit I’ve ever heard, given the context!
The_Troyminator@reddit
You could just lightly tap the horn. In most cars, it will make a gentle and brief sound.
havron@reddit
There was a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode which demonstrated the need for this.
SphericalCrawfish@reddit
Just use the horn. The person in front of you is on their phone, the person behind you is on their phone, you were on your phone. First person to finish the round of Candy Crush and see the light is responsible to let the rest of us know.
netechkyle@reddit
My wife has been talking about this for 40 years, she calls it the HAPPY 🥳 HORN!!!! For saying hello and gentle nudging.
Suppression_Gaming@reddit
Mark rober did a video about this years ago, with some basic electrical work its pretty easy to do