Well as expected, here is the press release: National Federation of the Blind Urges Chairman Waxman to Move Forward with Safety Legislation | SYS-CON MEDIA FOX has already picked it up. No doubt there will be many others in both US and foreign media. But given the gridlock in Washington, all legislation is bottled up. Bob Wilson
First, anyone who runs over a blind person without even bothering to honk deserves to be strung up. Second, what about deaf people? Vehicles painted in camoflage should be required to add bright flashers to protect those individuals. Third, what about people who have lost their sense of smell? Electric cars should be required to have a pipe on the back where oil is burned to provide a warning smell. Lastly, I'm not surprised Fox picked it up, fear of change is their bread & butter. Look for the big 3 and the oil companies to do the same, but not put any actual money into it (they just want the PR, not any substantive change).
I don't see any difference in the way people behave since I have the Prius - they don't look out for the road at all. They simply do as they please and expect you to brake even when they are in the middle of the road and not on the pedonal crossings. I see this "Prius is too silent" thing as a (yet another) annoying load of c**p. Plus, at least in EU, often blind people go around with dogs and honestly speaking they are more aware than normal people to all sounds - and the Prius is not *that* silent. What I am worried is rather people simply not looking when they cross the road or those on bikes. The latter, in particular, think they can do what they want simply because they are "saving the planet" or something else that makes them think they are special and do not have to follow traffic rules...
One of the reasons I'm not on the list to buy a LEAF is that Nissan is said to be working on ways to make it noisier. Until I know...
That's only because dogs don't have thumbs to text with! Here in the States, people with cell phones jabbering or texting are more likely to walk in front of a car than a blind person.
One Hybrid "DING" means 'get out of the way, stupid' Two Hybrid "DINGS" means run away toyota! ... run for your life! My beer can is stuck under the brake pedal! .
I say we just play a continuous audio (through an external loudspeaker) of a Harley at full throttle, say @ 150 db. That ought to let them know we're approaching!
OMG! I'm laughing so hard I'm cryin! But seriously, bicycles don't make any noise either. A bicyclist could just as easily run down a pedestrian, and they are on the list of people at risk!
Supposedly they're citing an NTHSA report saying that electrics & hybrids are "twice as likely" to be involved with pedestrian injuries - any chance that's because electrics/hybrids are more common in urban areas? (i.e.: where pedestrias are also far more common?)
Are you serious? How about I put out both of your eyes and you re-evaluate your answer. The disabled (blind, deaf, whatever) have lost so many things that people like you take completely for granted - a few "entitlements" hardly make up for it.
