SlashGear Japan
Whether they be Hybrids that run on electric in the city, all electric vehicles, or fuel cell vehicles they are all nearly silent or completely silent when driving in the inner-city. The blind people are pissed, and a little scared.
For the past god knows how long blind people have gotten by walking through the city with use of the heightened sense of sound so they can hear the cars driving by with their fairly audible motors and can avoid being hit. These days its gotten a lot harder with the large number of hybrid vehicles, most of which run only on the silent electric motor when going city speeds, and then there are all electric vehicles that are growing more and more popular that are completely silent.
At most a blind person could hope to hear maybe some tire noise, or, if they are lucky, some whine from the transmission or electric motor, that’s it. So they are trying to get laws past requiring manufacturers of these vehicles to put some sort of constantly audible sound making device on the vehicles, which goes against one of the selling points of these cars which is their relative silence.
I still remember a story from a while ago where a gentleman driving the completely silent, all electric, Tesla Roadster got pulled over for speeding, but argued that it had to have been a speed trap, which was illegal in his state, since there is no way the officer could have heard the vehicle, and won. So if you are losing, have lost, or never had sight, my condolences, but at the same time, please lay off the silent vehicles, there is already enough sound pollution in the world today, instead work on a device for yourselves that is silent to everyone else, but can sense the range of a silent vehicle and warn you, and you alone.
Blind Pedestrians Continue Their Fight Against “Silent” Hybrids [via dailytech]
3 Responses to “Blind people going after fuel efficient vehicle manufacturers”
Steven Lough October 3, 2007
This is absolutely rediculus. A Lexus, a Cadilac, any modern car, at those low speeds is
JUST AS QUIET as these hybrids, or for that matter even a pure electric.
At SPEED it is wind and tire noise for ALL cars .
It is True however, that older cars with bad exhaust systems of course do eminate an exhaust noise, or hot rods, or street racing Hondas, and the like
But your modern normal car of ANY brand is next to silent as it moves round a corner or in a parking lot…
Nuff Said…..
NeutralJon Mittelhauser October 4, 2007
[quote comment="29502"]This is absolutely rediculus. A Lexus, a Cadilac, any modern car, at those low speeds is
JUST AS QUIET as these hybrids, or for that matter even a pure electric.
[/quote]
I agree that the premise of adding noise is ridiculous but so is your comment that a modern car is just as quiet. Maybe inside but certainly not outside.
For the record, I have been lucky enough to have driven the Tesla (as well as been outside it while it was driven around a parking lot). Also my wife drove an S500 for the last couple of years which is about as high end an ICE-based car as you will get. There is just no comparison. One is silent – the other is not. :)
-Jon
-Jon
NeutralGaylen Floy October 4, 2007
It is a myth that people who experience vision loss acquire improved hearing or other senses. We are just like any other cross section of humanity trying to work, shop and contribute to the community.
We go through weeks of training, learning to pay attention to environmental sound, using the cane or guide dog. At an intersection without audio signals, we listen for accelerators and parallel traffic before crossing.
Before you sound off on how ridiculous the NFB’s request might be, try crossing a street wearing sleep shades.
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