Hybrid cars may pose silent threat to the blind

In most states (if not all states), the driver is responsible for not hitting pedestrians. It is not the pedestrian's responsibility. If a pedestrian is struck by a car, guess who is going to jail?
Hybrid cars do not need sound regulations. The drivers need to look where they are going! Do you know how many pedestrians I drive by every day? Thousands! And some of them have red-tipped canes. Guess what? I have never run over a single one of them!

Many times in parking lots, I walk by internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and I literally cannot hear any sound coming from the engine. Why the double standards? Why do hybrids have to have minimum sound requirements when ICE cars can be as silent as possible? I wonder if the oil companies have something to do with this. Or maybe the blind people just want attention.

 

This is BS.
First of all, blind people should not drive Priuses--or any other car.
Secondly, they should not be walking sidewalks without a trained dog. And a trained dog will have no trouble detecting a Prius--or any other vehicle.They aren't that stealthy outside--you can hear the engine inside--with soundproofing, so it's noisier outside. Stopped at a traffic light? Fortunately, the driver can see who is crossing the street, and can beep the horn. The Prius does have a horn.

 

I want mine to emit the sound of a formula one car.
That would make everyone jump out of the way, for sure.

 

Last time I checked, my Prius had a decent set of brakes. And I promise to use them if and when I encounter a blind pedestrian. And if that isn't sufficient, there's always my horns.

 

Bob - thanks for making us aware of HR5734. What a bizarre idea? Imagine the improvement of quality-of-life for many people (particularly urban) when cars are emission-free and noise-free. Wonder who is really behind this bill? Detroit?

 

I agree that this is a controversy without a foundation. My Prius is quiet. But so are a lot of cars. And so is a Tesla Roadster. I work in downtown and drive 16 miles each way to and from work. I see a lot of pedestrians but maybe 1 blind pedestrian maybe every four or five months. How many blind pedestrians have thrown themselves in front of Prii to date?
This sounds a lot like the building where I used to work that after the ADA was passed, promptly installed braille numbers for the parking garage elevators. Something just doesn't fit.

 

I'd like mine to sound like an ice cream truck, so that not only will pedestrians be walking in front of my car they will be running towards it.

Or not! I like my silent Prius.

 

Just fired this off to my Congressman; it's not perfect but gets the point across. Bob; do you have a brief citation for the 2006 death stats?

"Dear Congressman Ferguson:

I am writing regarding H.R.5734, a bill which requires hybrid and other "quiet" vehicles to be fitted with a noise-making device in order for blind and otherwise hearing impaired pedestrians, cyclists and young children to hear the vehicles' approach.

As a hybrid owner and avid cyclist, I am concerned that the Bill is extremely ill-advised. The adoption of hybrids (and other fuel-efficient vehicles) is a key component of America becoming self-sufficient in energy use; reduces flow of funds to countries and groups antagonistic to the USA and our way of life; allows new technologies and innovation which will enhance the American economy; will improve the quality of life - especially in urban areas - with reduction of pollution and noise from vehicles; and is key to fighting global emissions of carbon dioxide.

As such, we Americans should be striving to extend the use of hybrids (and other fuel-efficient vehicles) and the addition of artifical noise-making devices does not help this cause.

A major concern with the Bill is the lack of data showing that blind pedestrians are affected by such vehicles; indeed of almost 5000 pedestrian deaths in 2006, 6 were blind pedestrians with no evidence presented to link these fatalities to "quiet" vehicles. There is obviously a much larger problem around pedestrian safety, which is not considered by this Bill.

I would respectfully ask that you suspend action on H.R.5734, and work with your colleagues in Congress to address the wider issues of pedestrian safety and encourage adoption of energy-independence technologies."

 

And for the deaf we need a flashing light to alert them. For the deaf and blind we need a force field to gently push them out of the way. What about bycycles. They don't make much sound, could be dangerous too.

 

Lots of cars are quiet. So quiet that people try to start them when they're already running...embarassing.

 

This is strange. The only time that politicians are proactive is when the problem does not exist. Most deaf people can see, and most blind peolpe hear well enough to detect a Prius traveling fast enough to hurt them. This is a classic example of politics "picking on the litte guy". If they can force manufactures to put noismakers on hybrids, they can force them to make more efficient cars too. I'm throwing the BS flag.

 

Hi Bob,

Wont work. My phone in my office sounds like a phone that is 50 feet away on the other side of a divider. When I am in the lab area of my office, about 20 feet from the phone, I cannot tell if its my phone or the one 50 feet away that is going off. Its just the acoustics of the space. And similar accousics can happen outside too, get a few big billboard sized sound reflectors (Tractor-Trailers) around, and you have the same thing.


So, when the blind pedestrian hits that button, and 10 cars respond (which will be the reality the end of next year), what good is that going to be ?

The problem here is the total lack of common sense and paranoid irrationality by the blind population which is being whipped up by do-nothing, politcal hacks, rather than do their own jobs. Rather than something meaningful (hard), they have started this bill in congress. Kinda reminds me of the scarlett C episode, which lead to Alqueda having the opening to strike. I do not mean you are a such a politician, I think you are just trying to be reasonable with these hystericals. But, somebody has to tell these people they active systems are just a dead end.

If you put distinctive noises on cars, then the pedestrian cannot besure the noise is a car. And you could still have the circumstance where two cars have the same "ring tone".

Technology is a double edges sword. And the bell the hybrid is a total fiasco, rolling downhill with farce pushing it.

Hybrids make noises. At speed, these are the same noises that all other cars make.

I think the only thing practical is a ultrasound converter. Hybrids have ultrasonic inverters, which give off sound. Detecting that sound is a unique way of telling if a hybrid vehicle is around and powered up. Further testing needs to be done, of course. When the inverter is big enough (RX-400h) that its lower in frequency its no problem to hear a slow speed EV mode hybrid behind one as one is walking along on the side of the road. Its happened to me. Indeed, a coasting car would have been a total supprise, yet the RX-400h was clearly audible. COMPLETELY THE REVERSE OF WHAT THE BLIND COMMUNITY IS TELLING US.

 

Hi Again Bob,

Rear view camera gotta be the most effective in all these backup rollover accidents. The camera is right there in the middle of the vehicle looking right back.

 

These are the sponsors. Contact them!
Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10] (originator)
Rep. Thomas Allen [D, ME-1]
Rep. Robert Andrews [D, NJ-1]
Rep. Robert Berry [D, AR-1]
Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D, OR-3]
Rep. John Boozman [R, AR-3]
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo [D, GU-0]
Rep. Leonard Boswell [D, IA-3]
Rep. Robert Brady [D, PA-1]
Rep. Corrine Brown [D, FL-3]
Rep. George Butterfield [D, NC-1]
Rep. Barbara Cubin [R, WY-0]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D, MD-7]
Rep. William Delahunt [D, MA-10]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
Rep. Luis Fortuno [R, PR-0]
Rep. Virgil Goode [R, VA-5]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D, NY-22]
Rep. William Jefferson [D, LA-2]
Rep. John Kuhl [R, NY-29]
Rep. Thomas Latham [R, IA-4]
Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D, CA-16]
Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D, NY-14]
Rep. Betty McCollum [D, MN-4]
Rep. James McDermott [D, WA-7]
Rep. James McGovern [D, MA-3]
Rep. Mike McIntyre [D, NC-7]
Rep. Jerry McNerney [D, CA-11]
Rep. Michael McNulty [D, NY-21]
Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D, NY-8]
Rep. Randy Neugebauer [R, TX-19]
Rep. James Oberstar [D, MN-8]
Rep. Steven Pearce [R, NM-2]
Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7]
Rep. David Price [D, NC-4]
Rep. Charles Rangel [D, NY-15]
Rep. Linda Sanchez [D, CA-39]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
Rep. Peter Sessions [R, TX-32]
Rep. Fortney Stark [D, CA-13]
Rep. Clifford Stearns [R, FL-6]
Rep. Ellen Tauscher [D, CA-10]
Rep. Gene Taylor [D, MS-4]
Rep. Timothy Walz [D, MN-1]
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D, FL-20]
Rep. Peter Welch [D, VT-0]
Rep. Rob Wittman [R, VA-1]
Rep. Albert Wynn [D, MD-4]
Rep. Donald Young [R, AK-0]

Go to http://house.gov and find your representative, and the above.

 

In 3 years of driving my Prius, I have only noticed a 'look' about the quietness of my car one time from one individual. And that was because my starter didn't make a noise. In the real world, my tires grind stones, my A/C and radio make a lot of noise, and that pesky 'pumping up' of the ABS would make ay blind person get out of the way. So, while certainly quieter than a normal car, it takes a LOT of effort to run in any sort of 'true stealth' mode!

 

My prius makes a "bonk" noise as blind pedestrians bounce off the bonnet, isn't that good enough? They are so hard to avoid after all.