Mumbai to Combat Excess Honking with Horns That Notify Police?

10 years, 7 months ago - 31 March 2014, Autoblog
Mumbai to Combat Excess Honking with Horns That Notify Police?
Mumbai, India is crowded and noisy. It should be, after all. It's the wealthiest and most populous city in India and the fifth largest city by population on the planet.

This cocktail of demographics results in one big problem - traffic. While simply getting around can be tough enough, Indian drivers have developed the unfortunate habit of honking their horns. Often. At all hours of the day. And then at night. All the time.

The problem is so prevalent that manufacturers have started making louder, more durable horns for their cars. The result is, as you can hear in the video below, constant, incessant noise. To counteract this, teams across the city are working on systems that will curb the incessant honking. You can see Mayur Tekchandaney's Project Bleep, which uses a simple beeping, flashing light in the car to chide its honk-wild driver, in the video below. Another system comes from a group of engineers. Called the Oren Horn Usage Meter, it gives drivers a limited number of honks before the taillights start flashing. Police would then be able to ticket the offending drivers. Refilling the "honk allowance" would be as simple as refilling a pre-paid phone card, according to The Hindustan Times.

Both systems are being considered by the Mumbai government.