HR 5734 - Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 - Page 4 - GreenHybrid

bwilson4web · #31 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 03:28 PM

Hi,

I wanted to remind folks that this bill is still on the docket:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-5734

Worse, it looks like some of you may not have been contacting your congress critters with the facts and data. Your silence is assent to the false claims and sole solution being proposed, making our hybrids as noisy as today's cars and trucks that already kill 5,000 pedestrians and cyclists per year. The last sound one could hear would be the 'faux' noisemaker.

We need "smart highways" to handle not only pedestrians but allow our cars to travel safer with even more fuel economy. But this bill leaves us with a 19th century solution that already is deadly.

Between now and November is when our Congress critters listen so make sure they have the facts and data. Today's list of co-sponsors:
Del. Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU]
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA]
Rep. Corrine Brown [D-FL]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN]
Res.Com. Luis Fortuño [R-PR]
Rep. Virgil Goode [R-VA]
Rep. John Lewis [D-GA]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]
Rep. Steven Pearce [R-NM]
Rep. David Price [D-NC]
Rep. Linda Sánchez [D-CA]
Rep. Clifford Stearns [R-FL]
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]
Rep. Donald Young [R-AK]

Bob Wilson

FastMover · #32 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 05:11 PM

Where do we limit the protections for a disadvantaged minority? The blind already have crossing signals at most major crosswalks, as the deaf have visual signals. It is an easy matter to tie those signals into the traffic in motion detectors used to control the majority of traffic signals in this country. Is requiring them to cross at crosswalks unreasonable?

What about the environment? It seems to me that the public goal should be to reduce street noise in our cities, not increase it. We already have a cacophony of street noises eminating from crossing signals, public street works, backup alarms, emergency vehicle sirens, screeching brakes, drain grates and covers, and a multitude of pedestrian and commerial sources. These reverbrate from building to building and combine to provide a background noise level that is higher that I ever demand from my TV or stereo at home.

I have an idea! Pedestrians are quiet too. Lets add a provision that makes every man, woman and child in America wear a bell loud enough to provide a warning for the deaf pedestrians -- and lets add a beanie with a flashing light for the blind as well.

I am not against protections for disadvantaged minorities, but lets have some reasonable approaches and not use the first knee-jerk proposal that comes along.

Mad, you bet. I wrote my Congressman, ... and my Senator.

steved28 · #33 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 05:52 PM

I just wrote my rep.

bwilson4web · #34 (**permalink**) 05-22-2008, 05:03 AM

Many congress critters will be coming home over the weekend. If you have a chance, talk with them about HR 5734 and let them know what you think. As for these representatives, co-sponsors, let them know the bill needs fixing, taking out the single solution "noise makers" for a comprehensive solution:

Del. Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU]
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA]
Rep. Corrine Brown [D-FL]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN]
Res.Com. Luis Fortuño [R-PR]
Rep. Virgil Goode [R-VA]
Rep. John Lewis [D-GA]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]
Rep. Steven Pearce [R-NM]
Rep. David Price [D-NC]
Rep. Linda Sánchez [D-CA]
Rep. Clifford Stearns [R-FL]
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]

Tell them the statistics show the last thing someone might hear is the faux sound maker and that would be a terrible waste. We need a comprehensive solution, a technical solution, that moves beyond just noise makers.

Bob Wilson

GeekGal · #35 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 07:18 AM

More: http://www.disabilitynation.net/epis...problem-part-i

bwilson4web · #36 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeekGal

More: http://www.disabilitynation.net/epis...problem-part-i

Thanks,

I've just joined that web site and posted a 'hybrid owners' point of view. If you can folks, check to see if is still readable ... I suspect it might "disappear."

Quote:

Originally Posted by myself

Submitted by bwilson4web on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 11:59.
The proposed legislation does nothing for the deaf, only the hearing will get an audio clue.
The proposed sound levels are the same level as engine noises of the cars and trucks that already kill 4,700 pedestrians every year.
The proposed payers for these sound generators are the hybrid owners who have been and remain excluded from any evaluation or planning of this solution.
As one of the moderators of GreenHybrid.com, the multi-hybrid Web site and largest hybrid mileage database and frequent contributors to other Prius forums, we know that no one from the disabled community has even tried to discuss this with us. Worse, my ability to discuss this issue in the "Quietcars" mailing list was terminated. We call that "selective audio acuity ... listening to only what you want to hear."
The accident statistics from 2002-2006 show about 5 deaf people die in auto accidents per year and none have in that data been killed by a Prius. In the meanwhile, sound emitting vehicles continue to kill pedestrians at an average rate of over 12 per day and this legislation only continues that rate of death and carnage.
Hybrid electric owners are natural innovators and technological pioneers but this solution is in opposition to the "smart highway" system that would save not only the blind but deaf, physically impaired, bicyclists and even Harley motorcyclists. Instead of just one person, the deaf, getting a weak notice, two people, the deaf and the driver would get notice of each other. Best of all, our hybrid electric cars can help both parties to avoid the accident since it is terribly difficult to "hear the safe place."
We agree with the goals of this proposal, to reduce pedestrian deaths, but know already it is only repeating the same approach, sound only, that kills 4,700 pedestrians and cyclists per year. Include the hybrid owners in the discussion and we can get a bill that everyone agrees to. Ignore us and we will have no recourse but address the "Bell the Hybrid Act" and share these and other inconvenient truths in every public forum ... including those that do not silence our voices.

Bob Wilson