Bloomberg: Nissan Adds ‘Beautiful’ Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safe

(sigh)
oh ... right ... a beautiful noise. Here's a 15 second youtube clip of the flying car from blade runner / 'beautiful' noise that the designers say will please folks:

Do YOU want a nice quiet car to make THIS sound, versus no sound? Must be something wrong with me.

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This may be less than elegant, but this whole notion that cars have to make more noise than is necessary, is just plain STUPID. I'd rather have the blind person have an ear plug that WE as taxpayers pay for, and each car have a signal to the ear plug that could give the blind person some info about the "silent" car that is approaching (maybe even direction and rate of speed). Maybe it's just where I live, but I haven't driven past a blind person crossing the street in many years.

If we can have some low level radio device and the blind person has an ear plug, that would be a better solution than having more and more noise and having to pay more for our cars to broadcast noise. Why do we have to produce noise, for a very few, only when a car is going very slow? Is this really going to save lives? Heck, maybe if all cars sounded like Harley Davison motorcycles, we would all be safer, blind or deaf or not. But would the trade off be worth it?

Or maybe we all need a thumping base blasting that rattles everyone within 20 feet so that we can all feel for vibrations if a car coming... This is just really STUPID, in my book. If I am being unsensative, let me know, but I think this is a bad policy.

Also, the "beautiful" sound is that of a hover craft. For the record, I wouldn't mind this sound, if I was in fact flying a hover craft.

 

Thanks:

I met with my Congressman this morning and shared my concerns:

• "sound" vehicles kill 4,700 pedestrians every year and adding "sound" to hybrid perpetuates this death toll. Pedestrians are not going to be safer. I pointed out the SAAB, BMW and Toyota accident avoidance systems based upon radar and cameras that automatically apply the brakes to save everyone, pedestrians and cars.
• omission of hybrid electric owners, insurance companies and medical, public health professionals from consultation. These truth tellers are needed to help the other see the big picture, the reality of accident data and the brutal math of public safety.
• risk analysis - I'm looking forward to the NHTSA report since we're already looking at the FARS and tracking Prius-pedestrian accidents. With a minimum of 4 billion Prius miles since 2001, there is a statistically significant sample set that more than covers the 0.1 billion miles per fatality scale the NHTSA uses in their annual report to Congress.

I have no idea if I did any good. No one can tell the future but my cover letter ends with this:

Bob Wilson

 

As you all know I am against requiring hybrids to make noise. My main premise is that the driver should be looking where they are going and the driver is responsible for what they run into. That has nothing to do with making noise. Having said that, I will concede that Nissan has done a great job with the noise that the Infinitiy I35 sports cars and SUVs make. Some of you may not like it (I personally hate cars that make loud noises), but I do have to admit that the Infinity exhaust systems sound pretty cool.

 

Uh oh... If I were to buy a Leaf, this could be a deal breaker for me (if they *really* make it sound like *this*) :juggle:

This whole thing reminds me of the mandatory flag-carrying runner going in front of each car that was required in early 1900... The whole idea is just silly. People should be taught to *look around* before crossing (and drivers to be a lot more careful when driving in crowded areas), that would be a whole lot better in my opinion.

 

You want to tell blind people that they need to "*look around*"?

Well, sure, driver responsibility is great. But surely you can understand a blind person wanting a little audible warning so that they don't have to rely on the driver as their primary option for not getting pancaked?

I'm not excited about electric cars making unnecessary "warning" noises, and am not convinced there aren't other alternatives to address the concerns of the National Federation for the Blind, but I'll give them a seat at the proverbial table and hear them out. Some of the stuff Bob W. points are worth considering IMO.

 

Well, I was obviously talking about usual traffic situation and somewhat overlooked the fact that this whole thing mainly arose because of concerns regarding blind people (I did not read the opening posts of this thread until now, I only played that "beautiful" sound and was horrified by the prospect of a car emitting noise like *that* ). Yes, there is a point in that, I have to admit, so I am sorry, as my remark must have read somewhat silly in the whole context. So I agree that you have a point and apologize. Still, I am not really excited by the idea of EVs making silly artificial noises... Although I have to agree that there is a good reason for that.

 

You wouldn't be referring to obnoxious salesmen driving while talking on cell phones, would you? :eyebrows:

What ever happened to guide dogs?

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After much research here is an example of the beautiful sound they have developed.



[ame="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v709/Kablooie/?action=view&current=Priussound2.flv"]Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket[/ame]

 

Look at the bright side ... if this dumbness becomes law ... you can deactivate it ... modify the noise to something extremely objectionable (yet free speech protected) ... or other retaliatory feature, until dumb legislators come to their senses

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Will it sound like the music on the Prius commercials?

"Nissan Adds 'Beautiful' Noise..."

Does it sound like nature? Birds chirping and waterfalls?

"Now he's consulting music composers..."

Will it sound like Mozart's Overture? Disney's Sorcerer's Apprentice?

Will the music match the way I am driving? When I'm late and in a hurry to get somewhere, will it sound like Metallica, and when I'm taking my sweet time, will it sound like bagpipes?

THAT'S IT !!!! IT WILL SOUND LIKE THE BAGPIPES !!!!

That's going to make rush hour traffic interesting.

 

This discussion brings back memories of the recent VW Diesel / Prius ad where the guy notes his car says vroom and what does the Prius sound like? We'll have to switch to VW's after all...or perhaps attach tape players with recorded diesel sounds under the bumper and activate them at slow speed.

 

A friend recently suggested the car's system could be hacked to make the car sound as if it's flatulating, like the famous campfire scene in Blazing Saddles. Not sure if I should admit I found that idea to be really funny.

Substitute "knuckleheads" for "salesmen" and we're in complete agreement. I have been in two accidents caused by idiots not paying enough attention because they were yapping away with their cell phone stuck up to their ear. So I am overly sensitive to the issue.

I was just intending to give you the verbal equivalent of an arched eyebrow. No need to apologize as far as I'm concerned.

 

The pipes seem a good choice to me, especially since there is the steady drone.

I do want the option of using the A-10 Warthog engine sound now and again. I'll need to do some audio upgrades for that. I'll use it everytime some dipstick pulls out in front of me during a swift downhill glide. :evil:

 

I want mine to play the Doctor Who theme.

 

OMG!! i can see it now, customize the "tone" of your car....$2.99 each good for the life of the car... sponsored by your local cellphone company

 

I'm with bwilson4web on this one ...

... if cars that ALREADY make "sound" kill 4700 pedestrians per year, having MORE cars that make "sound" won't help the matter.

Indeed ... I wonder how many of those pedestrians were killed as a result of some OTHER noise in the immediate vicinity that drowned out the sound of the approaching vehicle or otherwise distracted the pedestrians; such as, oh, I don't know: a Harley Davidson or other loud motorcycle passing nearby? / an aircraft flying overhead? / a jackhammer? / ambulance or police or fire truck sirens? / another vehicle half-a-block away playing music at 150 decibles? This list could go on and on.

Rather than having our lawmakers CREATING a new law that might, indeed, reduce fatalities in this matter -- although I imagine the resultant reduction in such fatalities would probably be negligible at best! -- I would much rather that our laws that are already in existence be properly enforced, and that those violating such laws be sentenced properly, promptly and accordingly; laws such as, oh, I don't know: speeding? / driving while intoxicated? / driving under the influence? / driving while sending a text message? / driving at speeds that are excessive due to road or weather conditions? / tailgating? / excessive lane changing -- anyone who "has" to change lanes 4, 5 or 6 times in a mile is NOT "going with the flow"! -- ? / running red lights? / disregarding work zone, reduced speed zone sections of the highways? This list, too, could go on and on ....

 

I too am with bwilson4web on this, his arguments make complete sense. This ridiculous proposed legislation is another manifestation of "nanny state" legislators with nothing better to do.

How many of those 4700 pedestrian are blind people? And how many blind pedestrians have actually been killed by EVs as opposed to the standard ICE powered vehicle? This entire discussion has branched off in so many directions that the fundamentals have been obscured.
The moving vehicle does not cause the accident .... the inattentive operator does! If the vehicle has blind spots, be more careful when driving it!
If everybody exercised adequate precautions, pedestrian accidents can be minimized, but never eliminated. Everyday living is full of hazards, but far more pedestrians in parking lots and elsewhere emerge alive than injured or dead!