I've had a new bell on my bike this week. My old one broke - it had given four years' continuous service so I suppose it didn't have a bad innings.

My bell breaking was a real pain, but I did get that frisson of excitement when looking for something new to adorn my bike with.

I did use what I now know is known as a flick bell. I didn't ever really warm to it, it always seemed just that bit out of reach and the noise it made was a bit quiet for me.

If you want someone to know that you're approaching them on your bike, you need a loud bell. So I went bell shopping.

As with anything else I seem to want to buy for a bike, this meant walking into a whole new shopping world, with more options than you can shake a stick at. Perhaps I wanted a Darth Vader bell, a hamburger bell or even a Barbie bell. Maybe I should change from a bell altogether and get a horn. So many decisions for one tiny, essential item.

Finally I decided on a classic and even managed to fit it myself. Unfortunately, it does rattle somewhat, so my bike sounds a bit like a supermarket trolley, but that perhaps is no bad thing. Bike shops are legally obliged to sell bikes with bells on, so we should be used to hearing cyclists use them. There have been proposals to change the law so that it is not just a requirement for new bikes to have a bell, but also that all bikes should be fitted with a bell.

This proposal was somewhat derided by certain newspapers but I think it can only be a good thing. Cyclists should be warning pedestrians that they are approaching.

As the most vulnerable road users, I live by the rule that pedestrians should come first in road users' safety priorities. We're all born pedestrians so empathy shouldn't be a problem. We should all be able to imagine being a pedestrian, whatever our outlook.

I think aural signals are vital for safe transport use. The rise in the use of the MP3 player is something that has to be questioned - is it really wise to be so totally engrossed in music that you can't hear what is going on around you?

I heard a policeman recently advocate the wearing of headphones just in one ear - a very sensible solution. It's interesting to consider other quiet forms of transport and how their design handles the need for noise. Trams immediately spring to mind - they glide silently around the place, but all are fitted with horns which provide as good an aural signal as you can get. Perhaps similar horns could be adapted for bikes?

Transport noise will also be an issue when electric cars are more common. I think it will take some time to get used to cars being right beside you as you cycle, without being warned of their presence by your ears.

Perhaps they all need to be fitted with a rattly metal bell like mine - then the roads would sounds like tinkling milk carts rather than the gas-guzzling roar of the combustion engine we hear today.