Ineos Grenadier has a cycle symbol on its horn control

[thirdcrank]

On the matter of the horn with the cycle symbol:-

I rather like the idea of a soft horn for giving a gentle toot, especially as the normal single horn audible at motorway speeds is generally unsuitable in urban areas. I fancy that anybody wanting to make an aggressive noise will default to the louder horn. This is similar to riders fitting strident airhorns rather than bells to convey their message.

[[XAP]Bob]

Are hearing impaired cyclists unknown?

We have this question a lot:
Being able to hear wht is going on around you benefits your situational awareness.
Improved situtional awareness is a good thing.
Hearing impaired cyclists lose the benefit of this, BUT
They are probably used to dealing with their impairment so will have ways of compensating/allowing for for their deficit.
It is therefore pointless to compare a deaf person to someone with normal hearing in these sort of debates.

But we still exist and horns can still affect us.

On the other hand if someone doesn’t respond then there is a chance that they are profoundly deaf, and it really doesn’t matter what horn you use.

[mattsccm]

A cyclist needs to know what's behind them in the same way as a driver does. Both groups have as many idiots as any other group and do stupid things. I regard a polite toot from a following car as a good idea. It tells me they are there and also that they are thinking of me. (there is nowt wrong with my hearing either but I am obviously not endowed with super powers like the powers like the poster above and thus cannot hear everything.)
Cycling idiots, like driving idiots, do un predictable things and warning them of a following vehicle is a damn good idea.

[[XAP]Bob]

A cyclist needs to know what's behind them in the same way as a driver does.

So do you sound your horn every time you see the back of another car?
The problem is that a car horn is not designed to be used as a gentle "I'm here" to someone not encased in a soundproof glass/steel box.

They are obnoxiously loud (and for some of their use cases they need to be).
Having a second level of audible signal would probably be ok.

But just what do you expect to change?
- If I'm in a busy built up area, which is the one place where I would expect that I might not necessarily hear that there is a vehicle behind me, then the likelihood is that we'll be stopped at a junction in a moment anyway.
- If I'm not in a busy built up area then the only reason you are still behind me is that there is oncoming traffic, or not enough space to safely overtake, so you'll just have to wait for that space to become available, I can't suddenly disappear.

I've only very recently (last few months) started riding without wing mirrors (Not really a good place for them on a wind cheetah, and I didn't really get on with the glasses mounted version).
I can still turn my head to check for following traffic if I need to, but I find that I don't need to do it all that often. I am not commuting any more, so I am usually not in as busy traffic as I used to be, but I know where I'll be slowing down and where there are opportunities to let people past.

If I was somewhere with long winding single track roads then I would be looking to spot a mutually convenient place to facilitate a safe overtake, and sounding the horn isn't going to make that any easier or faster...

[thirdcrank]

When on foot, it's sometimes appropriate to say "Excuse me" if you want to pass somebody who has not noticed you. I'm not talking only about footways etc., but if somebody is yacking in a supermarket or pub. Now, it seems to me that a gentle horn might serve the same purpose for the driver of a motor vehicle out on the road. Revving the engine is aggressive, calling "excuse me" out of the window might be misconstrued but it's a fact of life that not everybody is aware of their surroundings. Drivers have mirrors so have less excuse, but some are not averse to stopping for a chat.

[Bonefishblues]

I will often see cyclists whilst driving on narrow roads hereabouts. Because I approach slowly, and don't get too close, it's often some time before they become aware of my presence. It's absolutely no problem for me, but I can tell that this often comes as a shock to them - because I see the reaction. A gentle 'meep' or something similar would be helpful in that particular scenario.

I could also see a use in a town scenario when I wonder whether a pedestrian has clocked my presence, or whether they might be going to text off the pavement, sorry, walk off the pavement .

[Psamathe]

An aspect to my dislike of horns is how some drivers use then - impacts in them a sense of them having priority. e.g. I live in a rural location, single track twisty lanes with horrendous visibility and out walking I frequently come across a white van which hammers along the lanes continuously sounding his horn without any slowing down, the implication everybody will get out of his way; not just a toot and slow down at a blind bend but a continuous toot-toot-toot-toot-etc. speeding round blind bends on the assumption anything coming the other way will have heard him and got out of his way (even though no real verge). He has got away with it so far because there is so little traffic. Plain white van, no company name, nothing to act on.

Horns have minimal "expression" - a horn sound can mean "for your info, I'm here" or "get out of my way you ...". Different situation but vessels at sea have sequences to impact meaning (incl. one meaning "get out of my way, what the @£$% are you doing" (but such a scheme would not work for cars). Whilst a brief toot might impart a different implication from a long "sitting on my horn", many drivers seem challenged with everyday safe driving so using expression in a horn would mean thought and consideration.

Ian

[mjr]

I could also see a use in a town scenario when I wonder whether a pedestrian has clocked my presence, or whether they might be going to text off the pavement, sorry, walk off the pavement .

How dare they walk out of their ghetto on the margins, eh? A quick honk will tune them up!

[Bonefishblues]

I could also see a use in a town scenario when I wonder whether a pedestrian has clocked my presence, or whether they might be going to text off the pavement, sorry, walk off the pavement .

How dare they walk out of their ghetto on the margins, eh? A quick honk will tune them up!

Maybe you haven't seen the shock on a pedestrian's face when he/she steps off a kerb in front of you and sees that you've stopped? It's no big deal to me - I saw them and was prepared to stop - and I did, but I can see they were startled by their response when they saw me.

This is not about me. This is about them, in just the same way that the other scenario I illustrated was about the cyclists and a desire not to cause alarm to them.

Hope that clarifies my motives which, I'm sure inadvertently, you might have misinterpreted.