PressRelease

For Immediate Release July 20, 2007
Contact: Joe Mauriello
212.252.5495
JM@HornPollution.com

Joseph Mauriello, a native New Yorker, realized that honking car
horns are a major contributor to NY City’s noise pollution when he
was unable to sleep due to constant horn honking outside the
window of his Greenwich Village apartment, “ The horn honking
was continuous, traffic at the nearby intersection would trigger a
massive cacophony of horns from frustrated, impatient drivers
who couldn’t seem to deal with the congestion or waiting for the
light to change.” Despite laws on the books that are meant to
prevent unnecessary use of the horn, and clearly posted signs
that threaten a $ 350 fine, he realized that there are no teeth in
the horn honking laws, until now.

Introducing, the Automobile Horn Audit System or AHAS, as it is
presently known. Simply, it is a device that records several types
of data related to horn use; including time, date, amount and
duration of horn honks, and even location when mated with a GPS
chip.

This device incorporates an interface that may be accessed by a
law enforcement, or the local motor vehicle licensing authority, to
audit horn use of the vehicle, which in turn is used to assess a
charge or fine based upon the number of horn uses during a
predetermined time period, distance driven, or in excess of a
predetermined allowance of horn uses.

While automotive horns, including truck horns, can be useful signal
devices in an emergency situation, there are drivers that use the
horn habitually to express minor annoyance and anger, and to
intimidate other drivers. Automotive horns are a significant source
of urban noise pollution. Noise from incessant horn honking has
been tied to incidents of road rage. Only now are we starting to
understand the effects of noise in relation to the human nervous
system and blood pressure.

In response to the noise pollution attributable to automotive horns,
many states and municipalities have passed legislation penalizing
unnecessary horn use. Enforcement of such legislation is
impractical since a police officer is required to identify the vehicle
from which the sound originated, determine whether use of the
horn was necessary, and then stop the vehicle to issue a citation.
In New York City, for example, there are posted signs stating a
$350 fine for horn honking, yet one may readily observe that such
signs have no discernible effect on driver behavior.

Mauriello proposes that the AHAS Device be tested in “real world”
situations by installing the module on various vehicles that
represent a cross section of the motoring public. This invention
may find immediate application among operators of fleets of
vehicles. For example, taxi, limousine, utility, courier or trucking
companies may employ the system to identify drivers of its
vehicles who use the horn excessively. It would be a positive
gesture of cooperation for these operators of fleets to show their
willingness to participate in the testing and gathering of
information that could later be used to create fair legislation.

Although the device uses existing technology, it is the legislation
that needs to be created. Mauriello believes that, “… it is not a
question of if this will happen…it is when!” Many local and even
national law makers need to create model legislation that will be
copied and applied in other parts of the country. Legislators have
created an entire new set of laws that have forced automakers to
develop new fuels, engines, catalytic converters and other devices
that have significantly reduced toxic engines emissions, in turn
positively impacting on public health and quality of life. Most
recently the concept of a Congestion Pricing Plan to reduce
automobile traffic was proposed for NYC, a program currently in
effect in London.

Remember the time when seat belts were optional & airbags
unheard of?

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