Prius too quiet? New proposal may end the silence.

I still think a cowbell is the best solution. I might get proactive on this and install one early. I don't think the neighbors would mind, especially if I need to pickup something at 11pm some evening.

 

Aren't there already laws on the books that say, "Don't hit pedestrians"? Why isn't that sufficient? Should handguns require audible annunciators to let everyone know that there's a handgun near by, or is it sufficient to make it illegal to shoot people?

 

I have a part of my commute where I see a fair number of blind people with white canes, at least a couple times a month. They are always walking on the sidewalk, and cross at a traffic light... only a suicidal blind person would jaywalk. I can't figure out the reasoning for any law to make hybrids noisier, except that maybe we just don't have enough laws yet :wacko: Blind people already do what they need to keep safe when they are going about their business. Drivers are *supposed* to give the right-of-way to all pedestrians. And, if I remember my California driver's training from 36 years ago, if you see a person with a white cane at an intersection, you are supposed to stop even if you have a green light if it looks like they are going to step into the street... This section of the Oregon rules of the road ( Chapter 811 — Rules of the Road for Drivers ) is typical for most states:

811.035 Failure to stop and remain stopped for pedestrian who is blind; penalty. (1) The driver of a vehicle commits the offense of failure to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian who is blind if the driver violates any of the following: (a) A driver approaching a pedestrian who is blind or blind and deaf, who is carrying a white cane or accompanied by a dog guide, and who is crossing or about to cross a roadway, shall stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian has crossed the roadway.
(b) Where the movement of vehicular traffic is regulated by traffic control devices, a driver approaching a pedestrian who is blind or blind and deaf shall stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian has vacated the roadway if the pedestrian has entered the roadway and is carrying a white cane or is accompanied by a dog guide. This paragraph applies notwithstanding any other provisions of the vehicle code relating to traffic control devices.
(2) This section is subject to the provisions and definitions relating to the rights of pedestrians who are blind or blind and deaf under ORS 814.110.
(3) The offense described in this section, failure to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian who is blind, is a Class B traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §549; 1985 c.16 §280; 2003 c.278 §3; 2007 c.70 §329]


SO, WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER LAW?? I have a friend who is blind, maybe I'll have him look over this thread (yes, the blind have ways to surf the internet too!) and I know he goes around town on city buses. Might be interesting to get his opinion. Perhaps they use the street noise to help define the location of the sidewalk and cross streets.

 

I agree that we don't need more laws. But just to nitpick, not all intersections have stop lights, or even all-way stop signs. And most intersections with lights allow right turn on red. So it is true that some intersections are more difficult than others for someone who can't see if there is any oncoming traffic. Of course drivers are still supposed to not hit pedestrians in these situations.

 

Yes Please do I would love to hear a blind persons point of view.

 

Sharing the Road

Pedestrians Who Are Blind

Pedestrians using guide dogs or white canes with or without a red tip must be given the right of way at all times. These pedestrians are partially or totally blind, so be especially careful when turning corners or backing up.

Here are some suggestion for helping pedestrians who are blind:

• Don’t stop your car more than five feet from the crosswalk. The blind pedestrian uses the sound of your engine as a guide, so drive up to the crosswalk to allow the person to hear you.
• Don’t give the blind pedestrian verbal directions. The blind pedestrian listens to all traffic sounds before deciding to cross the street.
• Don’t wait too long for the blind pedestrian to cross the street. If the person takes a step back and pulls in his or her cane, that’s a definite sign that you should go.
• Don’t turn right on red without looking first. Look for any pedestrian or other traffic first before starting your turn.
• Stop at all crosswalks where pedestrians are waiting.
• Don’t stop in the middle of a crosswalk. This forces the blind pedestrian to go around your car and into traffic outside of the crosswalk.
• Don’t block any sidewalk.
• Don’t honk at a blind person. The blind person has no idea who you are honking at and may be scared by the noise

The University Record, August 13, 1997
GuideCane steers blind pedestrians around obstacles



[SIZE=-1]Iwan Ulrich, a graduate student in the College of Engineering, tests the GuideCane. Ulrich built the cane designed by Johann Borenstein. Photo by Bob Kalmbach[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]By Sally Pobojewski
News and Information Services [/SIZE]

It doesn't have fur. It won't fetch a ball. It runs on batteries, instead of dog food. But to the visually impaired, the GuideCane could give new meaning to the phrase "man's best friend."
Developed by research scientists in the College of Engineering's Mobile Robotics Laboratory, the GuideCane is a computerized, sonar-equipped navigation aid for the blind that detects obstacles in the user's path and automatically steers around them.
Johann Borenstein, research scientist in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics who invented the GuideCane, says it is easier to use than the traditional white cane, will be less expensive than a leader dog, and is more effective and convenient than other electronic navigation devices.
"A preliminary version of our working prototype for the GuideCane has been tested by visually impaired individuals and the reaction was extremely positive," Borenstein says. "But more development will be required before the device is ready for widespread commercial use."
The eight-pound GuideCane consists of a long handle with a thumb-operated joystick for direction control, an array of ultrasonic sensors and a small on-board computer mounted on a two-wheeled steering axle. Users push the GuideCane ahead of themselves with one hand. When the device's ultrasonic sensors detect an obstacle in its path, the computer automatically turns the wheels to steer around the obstacle and resume the original direction of travel.
"You feel the steering change as a direct physical force through the handle, which makes it easy to follow the GuideCane's path without any conscious effort," explains Iwan Ulrich, the graduate student who built the device. "Your body automatically follows the trajectory of the guide wheels just as a trailer follows a truck. Once the obstacle is cleared, the guide wheels resume their original direction."
Borenstein says that "after a brief adjustment period, most people will become so comfortable they will be able to navigate around obstacles at their normal walking speed. It's very intuitive to use. Unlike other navigation aids, there are no complicated acoustic signals to interpret and no extended training period required."
Borenstein and Ulrich have built a working prototype of the GuideCane and the U-M has applied for several patents related to the device. The U-M is seeking corporate partners to license the technology and assist with technical and commercial development of the GuideCane, so it can be made available for use by the visually impaired. Funding to support the initial research and development of the prototype was provided by The Whitaker Foundation, a private non-profit organization that supports research and education in biomedical engineering.

NYS VTL:
When there is no traffic control signal, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in the crosswalk. (Sec. 1151).
In addition, every driver approaching an intersection or crosswalk, must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian accompanied by a guide dog or using a white or metallic cane (Sec. 1153).

Section 130. PEDESTRIAN. Any person afoot or in a wheelchair.

 

I gotta have more Cowbell!

I drive to and from work everyday, just like the rest of you, 4 wheels at a time. Except once I step into my car, it is a Prius!

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Does it matter if the pedestrian/cyclist causes the accident? I once had a cyclist run a red light and plow into the side of my car with his bike (yes, bike) then he went over the handlebars, down the front windshield and hood, and off onto the pavement. And I wasn't even driving a Prius...it was about 15 years ago, when I had a Datsun hatchback wagon.

:faint: :faint: :faint:

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

In the case of a bike hitting you, yes it would matter.
Bikes are to follow the rules of the roads, guess the knucklehead who hit you wasn't.
Hitting a Ped on the other hand is a whole diffrent story.
A driver has to be in control of his/her car, that means being able to stop the car in case some dope walks out in front of you from between parked cars, or what ever stupid move they may make. The driver of a car will most often be found at fault. :mmph:

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

So... WHO exactly has to die before you think this is a good idea? Your mother, sister? Mine?

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

OK, seriously, what good does a flashing yellow sign do for a blind person??

And... this is a new problem, in the past blind people could hear cars and therefor not walk out in front of you. With increased numbers of blind people walking in front of your car, the number of accidents will necessarily rise as well.

 

Are blind people being hit by a lot of bicycles? The only time my prius is too quiet to hear, I'm going too slow not to stop.

 

One of the things I like best about my Prius is how quiet it is. Not that I'm the Grinch or anything, but I can't stand all of the "noise, noise, noise" around us everyday just for the sake of it. Noise pollution all around us causing noise-induced hearing loss. It makes me smile when my family says, "oh, I didn't hear you pull in."

I love my little blue golf cart!

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I am sure the current adminstration would love a new tax!

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I've got nothing against paying taxes for good roads, good schools and nice parks. What I don't like is paying for a war I don't want to be in...

To get back on topic. I like the idea of mounting the back up beeper on the outside of the car where it can actually do some good.
My frist question to the salesman, can they hear this outside?
Salesman: No.
Second question, what is it for then?

Hey perhaps we can do something zen like have a nice tone every 5 seconds between 0 -10 mph?

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I agree 100% about the words Fox and News.

 

Wonder why fox is reporting on liberalism? Weird. ANY mass media & news is an oxymoron. Those following are only a part of the latter. It's largely all history by the time it is reported & I've never figured out why they call it news.

 

The car is quiet--I have ran over my dog not once, but twice with my car. Fortunately he is a champ and is still alive I check behind my car every time now.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Legally speaking, blind doesn't mean totally unable to see. It means unable to see within a certain level of correction. (There's another clause dealing with nerve damage and blind *spots*)

A flashing yellow sign may be adequate, if the person can see colors or shapes.

Chuck