Category: Daily Living
My girlfriend and I were discussing the law that will go into effect about hybrid vehicles emitting a sound. In Chicago here I heard that they are going to be testing out an electric bus. I just wonder if the hybrid vehicle will automatically emit a sound, or if the driver needs to push a button to make the sound happen. Scary if a person needs to push a button to make a sound happen because how many will take the time to do that.
I would hope it would be automatic. It doesn't need to be a loud an obnoxious sound; just one loud enough to be heard when crossing a street.
I don't know about the law, I just saw some technical data only nerds like my brother and I could enjoy: he sent me it on Facebook several months ago.
Basically if a vehicle is traveling at speeds of over 25 MPH, the friction of the tires with the road makes sufficient noise. The problem is 25 MPH or less.
Obviously, for acceleration and even speedometer readings which are now digital, the car's systems know how fast it is going.
Technically speaking, the solution put forth was to cause the automobile to emit a sound, most likely digitally and through speakers, when the engine was on and it was at a speed of 25 miles per hour or less.
I don't know if this will be a complete solution, but it certainly will be better than what currently exists.
This problem isn't new: I remember the Max lines when they were new here in Portland in the 1980s. They were so quiet and on a reasonably frictionless track, you couldn't hear them coming. I was nearly run down by one, but for whatever reason felt the vibration with my cane, instinctively jumped back, and nearly sh** my pants as the train whooshed past.
Anyway I think handling this via acceleration / deceleration is the most automated and intelligent way to do it. As I said, I have no idea what the legal is, just saw the technical article on it.
Car makers have addressed this on new models. They make sounds. It is built in to the car. I don't have the exact artical on it, but all hybrids will make sounds. You are right about the tires, the problem with that is low profile tires that are usually on larger cars don't make much sould and if the wind is up never mind.
finding this topic to be of interest.
Had not before gave consideration to the sound that is emited by a vehicle/car that is what you say, hybrids.
Its important. Some of the more expinsive cars, such as a lexus sports utility vehicle can go about 40 MPH on total electric power. At any speed getting bumped by one of these large trucks is going to be painful, but at 40 you will be lucky if you live.
I'd personally rather be hit at 65 or greater, if I had to be hit at all: chances are I would neither feel it, nor incur vast amounts of debt to my family for what could otherwise be a semi-fruitless attempt at reconstruction. Morbid? Perhaps. But, realistic to perhaps banal proportions.
True, but I'd just like to avoid it period. You might live, but how? It happens. Smile.
I remember when the Prius first came out and it was a similar discussion because when it was idling you could hardly hear anything when you were sitting inside it, much less when you were on the outside.
Well, they can fiddle with the design all they want, but I'll allways be thankful to have a guide dog. Even quieter gas driven cars can be impossible to hear in the wind, on super crowded streets, durring construction or a thunderstorm. So, while I appreciate their efforts for cane travelers, I am glad of a guide dog, also of the steps some schools have taken to train silent trafic checks. The Seeing Eye has a highbred vehicle for driving trafic checks and Fidelco has an engenious way of using gas cars, turned off on inclines and releasing the parking break then coasting and steering to get a good silent trafic check on a dog. Even once all highbred cars on the road have the new sound emitting technology, I will still be very glad of a dog at my side.