http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21112810/

Their point is valid; however, all hybrids already have a "noisemaker". It's the radio.

When I'm in a parking lot or area with kids, I turn on the radio and roll down the window. That's my noisemaker.

I'm disabled too, BTW.

Infael

2004 Gray Prius with smart start/entry and VSC

A few times folks have not noticed me driving behind them in parking lots, I simply turned on the A/C. The noise from the cooling fans is easily noticed, yet not obnoxious. Within a few seconds of turning on the A/C, they look at me with a startled "deer in the headlights" look and move out of the way.

There are two sides to the problem including one obvious omission, bicycles. Also, some of the extreme hypermilers had suggested turning engines off of even non-hybrid vehicles. Now if it comes down to another maintenance item that gives the hybrid owner no value but an additional maintenance expense and requires government inspection for maintenance, it won't work. The parts will fail and not be repaired leaving the blind with a false sense of security and worse, the driver assuming "they'll hear it" complacency.

It is not a trivial problem but just "belling the cat" would be the wrong approach:
http://www.bartleby.com/17/1/67.html

In my best, oldest mouse voice, "We'll open a position for a blind person to affix the noise makers to all hybrids, bicycles and any cars not fixed so the engine can not be turned off in operation."

But if this effort leads to an audio safety system for collision avoidance, it would be a good thing for everyone. What is needed is a 'win-win' system that adds value to everyone. Right now, it sounds like "bell the cat."

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
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I'd like to add a couple of comments to that. The first is that that at any speed of any consequence, even in EV mode, there is enough external road noise to hear the car quite well. At speeds slow enough that even the road noise disappears, it would take a blind or incredibly careless driver to actually run into anyone, and that opens up a whole other problem. The same common sense rule that bicyclists use would then apply - if you're getting close enough to someone that they could get in the way, give a short honk of the horn, or even a "coming through" out the window.

--My hybrid came home!--
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Randy

There are probably lots of non-hybrid vehicles that, especially in a noisy environment, are difficult to hear.

R. Mark Owens - Casper Desert Mist

This comes up every now and then, as a saber rattling from the media on why Hybrids are so bad...

http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f13/too-quiet-12294/

http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f...d-group-12295/

It comes up, lingers a day, then dies again for a few months. No big deal.

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

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Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

I agree - I think they're just creating a "Tempest in a Teapot".

What about objects that don't make much noise that are a hazard to blind people: pedestrians walking/standing on the sidewalk; bicycles; parked cars; buildings, etc.

Rather than trying to change the multitudes of hybrids to make noise for a very small percentage of the population, why not come up with some sort of "personal radars" that they could use to alert them to all kinds of objects that may pose a danger in the area - not just hybrids?

My horn works well... If somebody in a parking lot is just walking in front of me I let them hear it... If I see somebody walking out in front of me they get the horn too.

So, you are proposing that we use common sense in these situations? Interesting....

Or we could waste millions to billions of dollars trying to make this into a law and add some extra cost/annoyance to our vehicles