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Do you think this particular issue is worthy of government intervention?
 
Good .. Really Good....

I think its worth! .. We need to protect human lives !
 
I dunno
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How many blind people get killed by regular cars per year? How much has it increased where hybrids were involved?

I don't know the accuracy of the stats here ..but it doesn't appear that all that many pedestrians get killed annually. I would imagine that blind fatalities would be a radically lower number.

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Each year pedestrian fatalities comprise about 11 percent of all traffic fatalities and there are approximately 4,600 pedestrian deaths. Another 70,000 pedestrians are injured in roadway crashes annually. Safety is important for all roadway users, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety has established a goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities and injuries by 10 percent by the year 2011. Pedestrian safety improvements depend on an integrated approach that involves the 4 E’s: Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Services. The Pedestrian Forum highlights recent pedestrian safety activities related to the 4 E’s that will help reach FHWA’s safety goals and save lives.


http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped/pedforum/2009/winter09.htm
 
Well .. but who knows ... maybe in 50 years
most of the cars will be hybrids ...

So why not prevent it now ..

http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/hybrid...ies-due-silence

It looks like its a problem right now !

http://www.google.ca/search?q=Blind+Pers...lient=firefox-a

Should we have problem with that ? NO!

I don't understand why someone would like to criticize that...

Its not a problem for peoples that can hear, or are able to see ... I guess that's why we don't think outside of box ..


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After a near-accident in California in which a blind man walked in front of a moving Toyota Prius — his seeing-eye dog pulled him back in time — there is new concern over these quiet cars. When braking or starting from a dead stop — two actions common near intersections — many hybrids run solely on an electric motor, which can be extremely quiet. The National Federation of the Blind is suggesting that the auto industry introduce some way to make hybrids loud enough to be heard over ambient traffic noise to prevent accidents.



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As a blind person, I can say that I'm no fan of booming stereos. We're not asking for noise pollution here, just some noise that can be heard by pedestrians. I realize hybrid owners like their quiet cars, but most people are used to traffic noise and won't freak out if hybrids make some as well. Besides, cars can be quieter; they just shouldn't be silent. If somebody has a better idea to protect the blind and other pedestrians, though, I'm all for it. I am, however, tired of reading attacks on blind people just because we're concerned for our safety. I would also point out that hybrids help the environment, but people walking instead of driving help it even more. Blind people are de facto environmentalists because we can't drive; we walk when we can, take public transportation, and buy fewer cars. It's really ironic that environmental activists are attacking us.


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I also think that every person issued a driver's license should just TRY to cross a bussy intersection blind-folded with a white cane, sometimes it can be quite the task with all the impatient drivers within our society that like to blow off the traffic laws.


some great comments >> http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/02/the_blind_versu.html

and as well some ignorants!
 
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The thing is, Priuseseses's make plenty of noise when running down the road. I'm not convinced they are silent.

I'm all for not mowing down the blind walking in road, but that nolongerbipartisan bill is just another expense....and does it have to be mandated by the force of law?

These are valid questions and people should not be called "ignorant" for asking them.
 
It's a matter of contrast. If all cars were electric, there would be no problem since the average level of noise would be low enough that you could hear them.
 
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It looks like its a problem right now !//Should we have problem with that ? NO!

I don't understand why someone would like to criticize that...


I'm sure that no one begrudges the blind any assistance that they require in avoiding traffic injuries/fatalities ..or just plain making life more functional for them.

The problems/objections arise out of how we tend to cope with these issues. The costs of fitting potentially hundreds of thousands of units with noise makers may not be the best approach if some personal protective device or modality can be cheaper and more effective. I don't know what that device/process/procedure/etc. may be ..but I'm sure that there are other ways to cope with it. Equipping hybrids with dog whistles?
 
One "crisis" begets another. This is how politics works nowadays.

One sector of the bureaucratic fat cats feed on the ill-fated workings of another gov't sector that, like the first one, has little to do with reality but everything to do with $$ and self preservation.
 
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
It's a matter of contrast. If all cars were electric, there would be no problem since the average level of noise would be low enough that you could hear them.


Point taken. I naturally tend to listen to the individual.
 
There is a difference between blind person and person using cell phone ... Don't even compare that to being blind .... its not even close .......
 
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Last year, the NFB (National Federation of the Blind) voiced concern and began studying the risk quiet hybrid and electric vehicles pose to the visually impaired and the blind.

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Recent testing at UCR showed how pedestrians perceived the quiet hybrids.

With background noise from cars idling nearby, subjects couldn't determine the location of a slow-moving Toyota Prius hybrid until it was within one second or 7 feet of their location, Rosenblum said. For nonhybrids, it was 28 feet from subjects' location.



http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=324
 
When I ride my chainless shaft-drive bike I have to be more careful when approaching other cyclists, pedestrians, and even dogs, compared to when I ride my conventional bike. When I use the shaft-drive bike, I use the freewheel, which is noisy, much more often to announce my presence. I have accidentally scared the living daylights out of dogs, racoons, and one skunk by just passing them silently. Maybe I need to get some cloth pins and a couple poker cards.
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Originally Posted By: moribundman
When I ride my chainless shaft-drive bike I have to be more careful when approaching other cyclists, pedestrians, and even dogs, compared to when I ride my conventional bike. When I use the shaft-drive bike, I use the freewheel, which is noisy, much more often to announce my presence. I have accidentally scared the living daylights out of dogs, racoons, and one skunk by just passing them.


Your Smart Man!

If everyone was smart enough .. We wouldn't have to create acoustics systems for Hybrids.

God Bless You!
 
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