Prius too quiet? New proposal may end the silence.

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Seems like a waste of time/money. They should throw this bill out and reconsider it when they have record of even one blind person being hit by a quiet car.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Fox and news in the same sentence is an oxymoron. Do a search, Bubba, and stop :deadhorse:

BTW, welcome to PriusChat! :welcome: and this belongs in Fred's, not the main forum.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Maybe we could mount a bell on our steering wheels.

I've seen more collisions involving bicycles and pedestrians in downtown Seattle than autos and pedestrians.

The silence while doing 55 on the freeway is one of the joys of my Prius.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

On the one hand, we should be sensitive to the needs of those who cannot see or hear and have trouble enough trying to adapt and function in a world which, too often, ignores their needs. Perhaps some sort of "air whistle" with a limit on it so it doesn't get too loud when traveling at high speeds?

Typical pedestrians, I think, should practice what they were taught as children, to look both ways before crossing the street.

To put a different spin on it, since no one has yet been injured because of a quiet car, shouldn't law makers focus on limiting the horsepower or top speed of automobiles since high-speed impacts HAVE caused injuries?

Personally, I think having quieter cars is a sign that technological progress is being made. Reducing noise pollution as well as air pollution is a good thing.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I think that bill should read something like;
All quiet hybrid cars must be fitted with tyres.

There we go, now hybrids will be just as noisy from the front as a quiet conventional car.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I got a deck of playing cards. Let's put 'em in our spokes.

:yuck:

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

You would need this for all modern cars, not just hybrids. Engine noise at low speed is nearly inaudible with all new designs. You mostly hear tire noise, which is the same with or without a hybrid power plant.

The focus should be on how to allow blind people to function, not on how to make cars loud. As for making noise, the Prius already has a horn, if you really think noise is the answer. Better drivers would help a lot. Perhaps we should stop giving out driver's licenses as if they came from Cracker Jack boxes and get serious about driving. It's far to easy to get a driver's license in this country, and far too hard to have it taken away.

Tom

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Mine came with a factory installed audible device for pedestrians, its called the HORN. Its so weak sounding though that blind people stop to point and laugh much like the many geese and squierrels in the area.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I would just rip off or disable any such device that was on my car. I read this news?!, laughed, and then stopped. Anyone remember the sci-fi story where the goverment forces everything to be equal, ie some people wear glasses they dont need to make their eyesight averagely worse, people with exceptional hearing wear reverse hearing aids and so on. This sounds like that. Anyhow just drive the prius, enjoy the quiet, and if you happen to hit a few speedbumps make sure and chalk them up on the side of your fender-fighter pilot style. I'll be concerned when this really gets to be a problem.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Does anyone have a 2 inch tall silhouette of a man with a cane?

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Or, perhaps, news for morons.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Seriously. They should force all vehicles to be quiet, not the other way around.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Okay, here's the solution: All cars should be required to have a small radio transmitter on a dedicated pedestrian-alert frequency. Range to be set according to what studies determine is optimal. Pedestrians (blind or otherwise) could carry a receiver which would alert them to an approaching car. Doppler could determine if the car is approaching, receding, or moving crosswise/standing still. This would be good for kids and absent-minded people as well as the blind.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

They need to introduce a Bill that states that Blind people shouldn't be allowed to cross streets by themselves. Isn't that what Seeing eye dogs are for (among other things)? Or why doesn't Toyota just give us the beefier horn they should have in the first place?

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

From the looks of this article,

Bus-pedestrian crash is third in 9 months | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

city buses should be outfitted with flashing lights and a klaxon which unload all sorts of unholy hell as they approach intersections.

Nine ton buses are apparently too small and quiet for both blind and sighted pedestrians . . . at least in Des Moines.

And if you think nine ton buses are a silent, deadly hazard . . . watch out for "Quiet Zone" train crossings!

UP: Federal Railroad Administration's Train Horn & Quiet Zone Rule

Those silent but deadly 270,000 pound locomotives are no longer required to blow their horns when approaching crossings which already have flashing lights, bells, and crossing arms if they are in a designated "Quiet Zone."

QUIET????? Bhaaaahaaaaahhaaaa! We humans just love assaulting ourselves with noise in the guise of 'safety.'

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

They already have, they are called fuel governors.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I have never seen so many people with so little to do and so much time on their hands that they have time to think of such stupid and useless laws. But just remember these are the same people that gave money to study cow flatulence. Maybe they should spend some more time on figuring out how to save Social Security without privatization or raising the tax on our wages through the roof (maybe they could get rid of the cap on SS tax of the first $87k of salary) that should go a long way to solve the problem.

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

Must be way to much mercury in the crab cakes these dopes have been eating. There's definitively some brain damaged with these bill writers.

Cheap and easy solution: the old wedding deal, cans tied to the back bumper! Or the bill writer...

 

Re: Silent... But Deadly?

I suggested this the last time this topic came up:

Install the towing ring in the front bumper and hang a cowbell from it. Everybody needs more cowbell.