Innovating the car horn
June 30, 2015
Like a fine wine, my hate for car horns has become more developed with age. The car horn may be one of the most stale and poorly designed communications tools ever built. The same loud signal is used to say I'm annoyed, Watch Out, Thanks, Hey!, Let's Go Islanders and Oh no, we are about to crash. The same disruptively loud signal is used to for one-to-one and one-to-many communications, introducing noise pollution and fueling anger and frustration. This is communications inefficiency at it's worst.
Yesterday, I received an email about a new Kickstarter project. I don't know them, and I don't usually write about Kickstarter projects. MotorMood is not a breakthrough technology. But I believe their concept has merit, and can introduce a new way of communicating and relating with one another on the road.
MotorMood gives you the ability to say thanks to the cars directly behind you. It's that simple. You let me into your lane, flash them a smile. You turned off your brights, flash a smile. This simple gesture of recognition can change how we relate to another one the road. Today, the only signals my car has are the turn signals, brights, hazard lights and the dreaded one-size fit's all HEY of my car horn. Giving drivers a tool to say thanks and improve their communication with those around them is a great idea.
I don't if the MotorMood will take off. I don't know that this will be how we communicate between drivers in the future. But it's a great step in the right direction. And whether it's through this company or a new feature built into new vehicles, the idea here has merit.
To learn more or fund this project, checkout their Kickstarter page.
As a born and bred New Yorker, I hate the car horn. The same signal is used to say I'm annoyed, Watch Out, Thanks, Hey!, Let's Go Islanders and Oh no, we are about to crash. 90% of the time, this loud signal is used to for one-to-one and one-to-many communications. The same signal is used to signal frustration, danger, and greetings. This is communications inefficiency at it's worst.