I often observe behavior on the road and try to use that behavior to better understand the driver behind the wheel. What does it say about a person when they’re weaving from lane to lane without signaling? What does it say when they don’t notice that the light has turned green? What does it say when they’re content cruising along at exactly the speed limit? I find human behavior to be fascinating and seeing how we interact on the roads is certainly a unique glimpse.
It occurred to me a while back that despite how well coordinated drivers have to be with one another to avoid accidents and maintain order on the road, we’re not given much to communicate with. For the most part, it’s just the horn. The horn is not the most pleasant sound. When most people use it in anger and frustration, most people probably perceive it as an aggressively unpleasant sound. When our only mode of communication with one another on the road is aggressive unpleasantness, I wonder how that impacts how we drive.
So why not a secondary horn, with an audible sound that implies ‘thanks!’? I know there’s the double tap of the standard horn, but still, why not a secondary horn? No one blink screw you, two blinks for thanks, a genuinely happy sound that says I appreciate your conduct on the road. Simple mechanics, simple market research effort to determine the sound, and a meaningful step towards more positive lines of communication with one another. I’m looking at you Elon..
My Mental Model 