In my experience, the strain of road rage that afflicts cyclists is entirely unlike that of motorists: easy though it may be to satirize or dismiss our sense of self-righteousness, the underlying truth is that cars are still king, and regular riders learn to grow a thick skin when it comes to sharing the road, where they are quite literally marginalized (on streets without bike lanes). Between the legal system's troubling aversion to holding drivers responsible for their (at times fatal) actions and the countless close calls that happen every day, entrepreneurial cyclists are increasingly taking matters into their own hands.
We've seen plenty of illumination and visibility solutions in the past, but Boston-based research engineer Jonathan Lansey saw an opportunity to fill a metaphorical blind spot for urban cyclists. Thus, the successfully Kickstarted LOUD Bicycle Horn affords cyclists a nonvisual cue on par with those of automobiles:
As usual, I have a few thoughts on the project... but first, here's Lansey in his own words:
About a year and a half ago a friend was hit by a car that was making a left hand turn. The driver was distracted by a loud radio and didn't hear my friend screaming. She was lucky, and wasn't injured very seriously, but I thought that we shouldn't have to rely on luck when faced with life-threatening situations. Drivers recognize car horns and react really well to them so it just makes a lot of sense to have a car horn fit for bicycles.The horn has both a high note and a low note which together makes it sound exactly like a car. Its easy to install and security bolts make it difficult to steal. The battery pack is small and light, but so powerful that a single charge will keep you honking for one to two months. The trigger snaps on to either handlebar and honking does not interfere with steering or braking.
A protoype