The Blind Versus Hybrid Cars

There’s one group of people who aren’t big fans of hybrid vehicles: The blind.

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.

I’ve tested many hybrid cars. When I drove a Prius for the first time, I happened to be driving slowly down an alley and almost ran over a pedestrian plugged into an iPod because, not only could he not see me coming, he couldn’t hear the tires on the pavement or the quiet electric motor. You’re also supposed to honk when coming through a blind alley, but I admit I didn’t this time. Usually, a non-iPod-wearing pedestrian can hear a car coming without having to look.

Hybrid owners I hear from like the fact that the cars are so quiet. It doesn’t seem likely that artificially added noise will go over well with consumers.

[Hybrid Cars Pose Obstacles for the Blind, UPI]

Comments

Isn't it always the driver's responsibility to watch out for pedestrians, regardless of the sound his car makes?

Well, it would help if pedestrians were visible enough (at night) and if pedestrians didnt have cellphones, ipods, etc. glued to their ears and paid attention to his/her surroundings instead. That guy was lucky he had a seeing-eye dog with him.

right, what about the guy with a cane? He's in trouble. The non-handicapped folks not paying attention don't get much sympathy though.

What is the world coming to, next we will need to have all the cars lit up with neon signs for the deaf.

I am surprised no bikers have chimed in yet with their unsubstantiated motto "Loud Pipes Save Lives."

This is the most pointless and ridculous article ever written.

Well, I do feel sympathy for the blind people.
However, I think this is just a bit nonsense, think about the Electric cars since they should be even quieter. Then what needs to be done? Booming stereoes?

For those non-handicap people that is not paying attention to their surroundings, they deserve to be burn to death, just because of their inconsideration.

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.

Blindguy,
I don't think the jokes are meant to be mean spirited and I don't think the hybrid owners are intentionally being malicious towards blind people. The weird thing is the mechanics of a car that make it audible are the same ones that burn gas. I have no idea how you'd artificially produce noise from a vehicle that wouldn't be detrimental to the driver. In the end it is up to the driver to simply not run over someone and to KNOW if they're driving a hybrid that it is quiet and to be extra careful.

Spare my ignorance.

Why not make the pedestrian traffic lights have noice or sound that notify the pedestrians what is the light now?

I always knew that we as a gas guzzling SUV society needed to embrace a vehicle that was kinder to the environment. I was elated to hear of the Pirus, but after nearly being hit by one last fall the blind have a valid complaint. I to like the completely sightless use a cane as i am legally blind. The techniques used in basic O&M rely heavily on the person being able to HEAR the vehicles within their surroundings. It is the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle to stop when requested at intersections and to obey the traffic laws for it is these traffic laws that help those that are blind traveling on foot. the white cane law is in EVERY driver's Ed manual in the country, and the person yielding the cane is NEVER at fault in the eyes of the law.
My experience with the hybrid car has taught me to be very careful and to do my part as a pedestrian and follow the rules that i've been taught durring O&M. IF our country goes completey hybrid(un-likely due to the fact that OPEC has us over the barel)the makers of the pyrius might have quite the law suit by the blind travelers within the united states. 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.

With all due respect, Corey, Toyota would not be liable in a lawsuit caused by the silent operation of it's vehicle, the driver would be. Pedestrians have the right of way and it is the responsibility of drivers to watch where they are going, plain and simple.

To J: There already exist pedestrian signals that make noise. Talk to your local town/city if you don't have those. Most cities lack funding ("CUT MY TAXES!") to install the latest and greatest technology that is beneficial to pedestrians and drivers. There are systems where lights are embedded in the crosswalk when pedestrians are present to alert drivers.

Perhaps adding some kind of low whistle (deer whistle-like) device to the silent hybrids can help pedestrians and bicyclists (it is unnerving having a silent vehicle come up beside you) that is not audible inside the cabin but is activated when the car is in electric mode...that would keep the peace inside and outside the vehicle.

I feel its the drivers responsibility to pay attention to the pedestrians.Hybrid Cars

Simple Solution. Create a watch for the blind that uses sound to indicate the approach of an electric car. Then you can have electric cars, and you remove the hazard for the blind.

Good God.
This story goes to show:
-Nothing in the world will please everyone.
-Everyone who is not pleased with something will make a stink about it.

Hybrids are not the permanent solution. However, they are arguably the best step in the right direction to combat high gas prices and fossil fuel supplies. It is hard enough to get people to trade in their SUVs and pickups for ugly cars like the Prius and Insight. Now this group of people are complaining that they don't make enough noise? How many million phone calls do police get from homeowners complaining about kids and loud stereos? Loud motorcycles? Straight pipe V8s on trucks?

The group is making resistance for a change to make "some noise." Define "some" noise? What is enough? What is too loud? How about deer whistlers? Then every single person in a downtown city walking, shopping, even store owners, will have to listen to whistling all day.

And to penalize a hybrid driver by making them listen to their own whistling? 75% of peoples' drive time is on freeways by themselves. No pedestrians walking on the interstate. You're going to make the freeway a giant whistle. How are people in hybrids supposed to carry on a conversation with the steady, annoying background noise?

This is ridiculous. These people need to suck it up. Do environmentalists hate SUVs? Do animal lovers hate hunters? Some things you cannot fight and win. If this complaint goes anywhere and automakers address this issue, the blind may be responsible for the demise of the hybrid. Oh god lets not revisit the death of the electric car (EV1)! Weigh your options: more noisy hybrids or melting the polar ice caps. Beeping, whistling, humming, purring, buzzing, whirring, winding, sputtering... I don't care, they're all unacceptable sounds to artificially ADD to the hybrid cars.

And to hybrid drivers - if you do find yourself downtown in a busy city, exercise extreme caution. You are driving a silent vehicle. If your carelessness and disregard for others' safety causes you to hit or kill someone (blind or not), you should lose your license and/or be charged with manslaughter as far as I'm concerned. It is your responsibility to be more careful. It is not blind peoples' responsibility to request these changes.

From RJ "These people need to suck it up."

You do realize that if a blind person can't travel independently in the world, they can't have a normal life, right? If you were to go blind tomorrow, would you be willing to just stay home unless someone arrived to help you cross streets? (yes- beeping crosswalk signs are great-- at streets that have lights. What about all the stop signs?) Maryland law will require 1 in 6 cars to be a hybrid within the next few years. That is a LOT of un-hearable traffic. Blind cane users will literally not be able to cross a street. That is not acceptable. They don't want to not have clean cars, they just don't want to entirely give up their lives/independence. I don't think it is such a big deal for us non-disabled people to have a little sound accomodation on our clean, quiet cars. Are we really going to confine the blind to a dependent life indoors because we are put out by our cars having to make some small sound???

After discussing with head officials at GM, it seems that they are planning on using a CD with a couple different "VroomTones" on it to warn pedestrians and drivers of the vehicles presence.

These "VroomTones" would react to the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicles. Customers might be able to download additional ones as it will provide a better opportunity to customize ones car.

As you may know there has been quite a bit of controversey over the silence of Electric Vehicles and the government will be mandating a "distinguished sound" be produced from the vehicles for Pedestrians (blind, kids, cyclists, etc.).

VroomTones would let peoples EV's sound like a V6 or V12 engine, (and some fun Vroomtones; the "Jetson Space Car" , Batmobile, Bradley Tank, horse galloping, etc.)