Category: Daily Living
Just wondering what mobility instructors are telling folks to do about crossing streets with the quiet car problem now in existence. I faced the problem of right on red which meant cars could turn quick on a red light. It was scary when a car would turn right in front of my cane; felt like I was going to get hit a number of times. but when I heard this quiet car problem was now facing blind folks, wondered what mobility teachers advised.
This is an up-and-comingproblem, especially with the introduction of elecrtic cars, apparently both the NFB and corresponding consumer rights advocate bodies in Europe are working on research and pushing for a legislation on mandatory noise emitions from cars, enough so that we can have a clue before we're run down at our favorite intersection.
The only advice I've been given is once I start crossing to be determined, don't hesitate, don't stand there and wait, once you're ready to cross and feel safe cross at a steady speed and make sure you're vissible, i.e. were reflectors or some such when it gets dark or in bad vissibility (I guess for us that's pretty much always, we can't say if it's foggy).
It's scary but makes life interesting, hopefully not short and interesting, and we actually have to trust in the carefulness of sighted drivers (well, I hope they're all sighted, wouldn't want too many blind drivers out there).
agreed brew, europe and america are shitting themselves, and rightfully so over this. some cars are so dam quiet now, i have trouble hearing them, and while we're on the subject, how about cyclists? shouldn't they be required to make some kind of sound while riding, like have rattling things on thier wheels or something like that?
You would think the drive chain or whatever on a bike would make noise. But I agree. I remember the Toyota Prius (SP?) had a lot of blind folks up in arms when it first came out because it was so hard to hear whether you were inside it or not.
bicycles can be pretty silent if coasting, and they can be doing over fourty mph if the cyclist is a good one. you would have no chance then.
Yeah, and those go carts in side facilities. I was at school and the go cart's weels were litterally two inches from my foot.
i know theres something with prius that you can add a sound to it that you can buy for it but i cant really remember. a cousin was telling me that the other time.