In that case, you have just heard: No Prius has been involved in fatal pedestrian accident with a blind person between 2002-2006 (per National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Accident Recording System database, a publicly accessable database, See June 23, NHTSA hearing record) Use www.regulations.gov and enter "NHTSA-2008-0108-0020" as the search term. The Prius has statistically the same pedestrian fatality accident rate a ordinary gas vehicles (IBID - Dr. Christopher Hogan report) An average of 5 blind pedestrians die in accidents each year but there are about 50 back-over accidents that kill about 25 kids (IBID - Chidester report) Adding noise makers to a Prius makes them just as deadly at the existing vehicles that kill 4,700 pedestrians every year. As of September 2008, the NHTSA has no accident data showing a greater hazard (per FOIA request) One of the most popular consumer items are the cell phone and iPod that both block any noise makers. There are better pedestrian accident prevention and injury systems that these fatally flawed bills will delay: Europe is passing pedestrian safety requlations that make the bumpers and hoods incorporate safety features to minimize the risk of injury and deaths for all pedestrians, the 4,700 that are already killed each year including the deaf and intoxicated. SAAB has a pedestrian detection radar that automaticly prevents vehicle pedestrian accidents that works for all pedestrians including the deaf and intoxicated. BMW has an infarred pedestrian detection system to avoid vehicle-pedestrian accidents that works for all pedestrians including the deaf and intoxicated. Please pass on these facts and data to whomever you 'heard' the other nonsense from because they are badly misinformed. Bob Wilson
Uh-oh Careful, Bob. By citing facts from verifiable sources, you are likely to incur the wrath of a certain enormously fat, drug addicted, pervert, obnoxious radio talk show host, and his legions of "dittoheads"
Hi All, The Prius drive electric system is isolated from ground, and has ground-fault interupter (GFI). The GFI disconnects both terminals of the main battery from the rest of the car if any ground current flows.
