Comments on: Hybrids, Too Quiet For Their Own Good?

By: Bob Wilson

Bob Wilson — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:43:36 +0000

There is a nearly identical bill before Congress, HR 5734, and SB 1174 ensures California tax payers will pay for the same ’study’ twice. This ’study’ looks just like the Federal bill, HR 5734, that has a hook to impose noise makers on hybrids. Read the bills, not the claims of the advocates.

In June, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a hearing in DC and the record is available at: http://www.regulations.gov – search NHTSA-2008-0108-0020 to get the facts and data. In 5 years of NHTSA accident data, the Prius has the same pedestrian accident rate as today’s cars. About 4,700 pedestrians die each year of which 5 are blind and none of the blind have been killed by a Prius in silent or other mode.

The blind and their advocates are fond of their ‘experiments’ but all their noise makers will do is perpetuate the same pedestrian accident rate we have today. Safety is not improved and the existing, not their fantasy, accident data shows that to be the case.

By: tlc

tlc — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:35:10 +0000

We can’t forget that there are two sides to the solution: while we could decide to outfit all the millions of hybrids with noise-making devices alerting the blind and annoying the rest of us, we could alternatively outfit all the (lesser) millions of blind people with vehicle detectors, alerting them to cars and everything else. Lord knows it would make more sense, though I haven’t seen any technologies to vouch for in this area. At some point it makes more sense for those with disabilities to adapt to the environment rather than the other way round.

By: Lily

Lily — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:59:39 +0000

My best friend is blind, and I have no desire to see her killed because people think it would be “inconvenient” to install some sort of noise creating device on hybrids and electric cars. Blind people often rely on the sound of traffic to know when to stop at a light, and when to cross the street. Electric buses are certainly the exception rather than the norm, I have personally lived in three major cities, none of which were outfitted with electric buses. This is definitely a serious issue for blind people, and I applaud California’s efforts to address the problem.

By: Loic

Loic — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:47:35 +0000

Lots of cities have electric powered buses, tramway, trolley, you name it, and for decades. How did the sight impaired managed to survived with those EVs in the streets ?

It is not an hybrid car specific issue. This problem of silent vehicles (including bikes, scooters) for sight impaired people is a general problem, not an hybrid car specific problem. Pointing to hybrid cars in particular is opportunistic. This problem has been going on for decades. I agree we have to find a solution to guarantee safety for sight impaired people in this world of increasing silent vehicles. They can claim that there are more and more silent vehicles in the street, and they need to sense them approaching. But, let not make this issue an hybrid car issue...

By: jw

jw — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:15:52 +0000

Great...more wasted money on ADA. kind of like mandating that there be 50 handicapped parking spaces in front of every Home Depot or Walmart. At some point people driving need to just be responsiible for not running over the pedestrian. Making the transition to alternative energy vehicles will be difficult enough without adding these ridiculous obstacles.

I don't know about you, but not hearing the sound of all of our automobiles would be a very nice change. I can't wait.

I suppose it is only a matter of time before Toyota gets sued over their vehicles being too quiet. Only in the good ole USA would this happen. Its a shame.

By: Alison

Alison — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:09:49 +0000

Er, what’s the obsession with noise? How do you think deaf people have managed roads for decades? And dare I say it, lived.