The car horn originated at the turn of the 20th century. Early car horns were activated by a switch on the steering wheel, a suspended lever or a decorative horn ring on a spoke. Today, most horns sound an F sharp at about 110 decibels, though sometimes louder. “Look out,” the honking horn advises motorists and pedestrians in the vicinity of danger; something requires your immediate attention, and I am valiantly directing you to it. “As with birdsong and insect stridulation, impressive amounts of information are packed into virtually indistinguishable sounds,” John Updike once wrote of the car horn.

Source: National Post January 03, 2019 17:04 UTC