http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3939014.story

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I sent a note to the writer that industry came back with a recommendation for an electronic network that would handle not only the needs of the blind but car drivers too.
Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Recently, a Toyota Camry Hybrid taxi rolled up behind me while I was standing on a sidewalk with my back to the traffic in downtown Toronto. By "rolled up", I might as well have said, "snuck up". The sound of grit under tire was the only sound cue to my ears that something was moving behind me, and it's something I would have associated with a bicycle or a dolly. This had the affect of surprising me, and giving me the distinct apprehension of a danger that was unrealized.

It's really sad to see hybrid enthusiasts fail to recognize a real safety issue that involves their vehicles.

Bob, do you really think that every person and animal should come equipped with GPS receiver equipment? Just put a noisemaker on the flywheel or something. Unless there's public consultation, it's not up to us to create the solution.

It is even sadder when the facts and data about traffic hazards, the real numbers are ignored:
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx

• 2006 fatal pedestrian accidents: 4,784
• 1998 fatal pedestrian accidents: 5,228

That facts and data say pedestrians have never been safer and this is with quieter and quieter cars.

Do you think there should be a national minimum sound level from all vehicles, including non-hybrids? Perhaps a diesel clatter level?

How do you explain the decrease in pedestrian accident rates as more and more hybrid cars show up in traffic? In fact, you can't and this proposed USA legislation is fatally flawed because it forces one and only one solution to be considered. It doesn't concentrated on pedestrian and cyclist safety but mandates "diesel friendly" noise makers . . . hummmm, the very thing a diesel advocate would want, yes?

No, the right answer is to go after the true goals and objectives, pedestrian and vehicular accidents and not let the mote of hybrid quiet be another red herring. The problem is much larger than 2% of the hybrid cars rolling on the streets.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Absolutely, I do believe that motor vehicles should carry some minimum level of sound. It is for the self-defence of others to have the chance to notice this kind of hazard. Large vehicles have to sound an alert when they are in reverse gear, so this isn't something without precedent. In the same vein, I do believe in rigourous enforcement of speed limits on roads, not for the technical, social, statistical or economic reasons but because the racer has broken the covenant of an understood safety field: There may be no harm in racing on an empty road, but their speed has removed the available reaction & prevention of unforeseen events, like a child suddenly chasing a ball across the road.

I think that the statistics are beside the point. It's about doing what's right for the collective good. You build accessibility into public spaces, not because there are a lot of visitors with wheelchairs. You do it because an inclusive civilization is a dignified, respectful, and therefore a healthier civilization.

With respect, I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree. If our hybrids went down the street and announced, "BLIND PEOPLE I AM NOT BURNING ANY GAS," the statistics suggest it would have no effect . . . except to sell more hybrids as the price of gas goes up. Too many pedestrians and cyclists are killed today with the existing, noise making vehicles.

Understand that any form of artificial "sound" will quickly be known as the "I AM NOT BURNING ANY GAS" signal. Meanwhile, more pedestrian and cyclist blood will continue to stain the streets because a mandated, ineffective solution that "sounds nice" was forced through law, not science and engineering.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Oh Gawd, I have this really awful vision of the future. Ring tones for hybrids. Ugh.

I'm working on jingles already. New career!

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL

As funny as that may be (ringtone jingles), I can see that happening in Japan. The cute and friendly are selling points there, particularly in design prototypesn

http://www.manufacturing.net/News-To...With-Mall.aspx


Back to the topic, here is another article with some more things to say:
http://www.manufacturing.net/News-Ar...destrians.aspx

Hybrid vehicles have a forward-thinking image. The stuff that people should be using but don't wanna. Eating granola instead of candy bars. Wouldn't it make sense, then, to be proactive about safety concerns instead of reactive? In other words, think strategically and support a solution before the proof arrives and then suffer the public scorn as apathetic people killers. Doubly negative for the ones who disable Daytime Running Lights.

It stupefies me to see what I perceive as a selfish and arrogant attitude within the hybrid culture. It's like, "I got a hybrid car. Don't you dare tell me about how it can be a problem." This is not true of everyone, of course, but it can be hypocritical when hybrid owners encourage others to have an open mind.

Hi,

Does Canada have accident statistics like this:

http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
http://www.nhtsa.gov/

The USA National Highway Transportation Safety Administration web site has a search engine and entering "pedestrian accident" revealed some interesting articles:

• ASSESSMENT OF VEHICLE RELATED PEDESTRIAN SAFETY - "Against the background of upcoming intelligent safety systems, which also will have an impact on passive safety in general and on pedestrian safety in particular, all relevant technical measures have to be quantified in a combined way in order to find most effective solutions. . . ."
• INTRODUCTION OF PEDESTRIAN HEAD PROTECTION PERFORMANCE TEST IN J-NCAP - "In Japan, pedestrian accidents account for about 30% of traffic accident mortality. Head injuries are 60% of the cause of death in pedestrian accidents. Therefore, the pedestrian head protection performance test using adult and child head impactors has been conducted in J-NCAP since 2003. . . ."
• DOT HS 809 456 Pedestrian Roadway Fatalities - ". . . Almost 175,000 pedestrians died in all motor vehicle crashes with more than 162,000 pedestrians killed in single vehicle crashes between 1975 and 2000. Pedestrian fatalities from all crashes reached a low of 4,763 fatalities in 2000. In 2001, pedestrian fatalities slightly increased to 4,882. However, in 2001, pedestrian fatalities accounted for about 12 percent of all fatalities and 85 percent of all non-occupant fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. Pedestrian fatalities in single vehicle crashes accounted for over 90 percent of the pedestrian fatalities from all fatal motor vehicle crashes. With such a high percentage of pedestrian fatalities from single vehicle crashes, this report was written to provide insight into the possible causes for these pedestrian fatalities. . . .
• many more interesting reports . . .

Of the studies, the first one mentioned included external air-bags for cars located near the windshield. This means all pedestrians would have an extra level of protection. Such a safety feature would extend not only to hybrids but SUVs with the inattentive driver chatting away on the cell phone.

A strong argument, based upon the second study, would require the blind to wear a half-top, motorcycle or bicycle helmet when walking. They might still be injured but the helmet would greatly increase their survival rate regardless of the vehicle involved in the accident. A blind safety helmet could include electronic enhancements to extend their hearing range and detect oncoming traffic. So along with their white cane, a white safety helmet, possibly with a super-bright, flashing, LED, would improve their outcome while walking.

The blind may suffer from a narrow understanding of acceptable solutions . . . when all you have is a hammer, all problems resemble a nail. Reduced to touch and hearing, it is natural that they would think adding sound solves the problem. Yet they are also being struck by ordinary vehicles today. It would be a tragedy if the last thing a dead pedestrian heard was faux engine noise, which looks to be the only solution proposed by the blind.

Effective problem solution requires looking at all aspects of the problem. Given the 5,000 pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities per year, we need effective solutions, not something that just sounds nice but has no measurable effect.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.