When it comes to electric and hybrid automobiles, silence isn’t necessarily golden. It’s actually a hazard.
The AAM, along with the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, the American Council for the Blind and the National Federation for the Blind have agreed on a plan to address a potential problem caused by electric and hybrid cars — they can endanger sight-impaired and distracted pedestrians because they’re too quiet.
Collectively, the groups have suggested new language that could become part of the Motor Safety Act of 2010, a bill now moving through Congress that would create new auto safety rules.
Sometimes even sighted pedestrians can be unaware of the cars’ approach. Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a study that showed that hybrid cars tend to hit pedestrians more often than other cars in situations where the approaching car cannot be seen.
Nissan engineers recently suggested another solution to the problem: Giving the Nissan Leaf the whirring sound like Rick Deckard’s Blade Runner police spinner. The sound would kick in automatically when the car starts, then shut off at about 12 mph.
Read the complete money.cnn.com story here.
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