Warning systems - a new task for car horns

In the past, sirens were used to warn people of catastrophes. But in the 1990s, most of these sirens were dismantled to save on maintenance costs. Now that no reliable, widespread warning system is in place, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT are developing a system that will enable the authorities to sound a siren-like warning in emergencies via the horns of parked automobiles. The system makes use of parts of the eCall emergency system, which will be standard equipment in all new vehicles as from 2014. According to estimates, once 14 percent of vehicles are equipped with the system, any warning signal sent out will reach the entire population.