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Automotive News & Views Lotus, the blind, and legislation?
18 messages, Last post on Oct 05, 2008 at 1:13 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Hi, Were has Edmunds been on the effort to "Bell the Hybrid," legislation to force noise makers on hybrids? As of two weeks ago, California bill SB 1174 that will force sound makers on hybrid electric vehicles was sent to the Governor's desk for signature. The first week of August, Lotus blanked the automotive world with a press release showing a Prius, Lotus makes no hybrid electric, that has a speaker added to make engine noises. June 23, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a hearing on Quiet Cars, how to regulate a noise maker on them. April 9, HR 5734 is introduced to Congress to mandate noise makers on hybrid electrics. February, SB 1174 is introduced in the California senate, and now sits on the Governor's desk. Many newspapers, including the New York Times, have run pro-legislation articles. But the stealth of advocacy for this legislationg has only been matched by the hostility of comments posted following these articles. This is exceptionally bad legislation and the 'buzz' about it is pretty obvious except in Edmunds. Where is Edmunds? Bob Wilson |
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Replying to: 625k_inc (Sep 06, 2008 6:36 pm)
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Replying to: 625k_inc (Sep 06, 2008 6:36 pm) Electric car sounds like herd of horses There was another one back in May of this year. A better place to talk about quiet cars is probably over in the Electric Vehicle Pros & Cons disussion.
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I am not blind and I can head a Prius coming up behind me on my bicycle. No it is not as loud as a V-8 with a flow master but it isn't deathly quiet either. The blind are not supposed to be listening to the cars they are supposed to listen to the light chirping like a bird on any number of other things we sighted people can hear when crossing at a light. It simply isn't necessary.
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Replying to: alltorque (Oct 03, 2008 12:30 pm) As for this 'quiet cars' nonsense, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out what data analysis NHTSA had done on hybrid vs pedestrian safety. The NHTSA actually decided NOT to look at the fatality database even though the underlying legislation declares hybrids to be "extremely hazardous." Like King Canute and the tide, this nonsense legislation attempts to command the facts and data. Bob Wilson |
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Replying to: boaz47 (Oct 03, 2008 3:23 pm) The blind seem especially afraid about a hybrid sitting, stationary and silent. This consistently comes through every claim. Bob Wilson
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Replying to: steve_ (Oct 03, 2008 1:38 pm) Bob Wilson |
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Replying to: bwilson4web (Oct 03, 2008 4:35 pm)
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Replying to: boaz47 (Oct 04, 2008 8:09 am) Around here they put those plastic bump tiles (tactile mats or truncated domes) down at the curb cuts so the blind could tell they were at the street. They melted in the summer heat here in Boise (frequent summer days over 100°F). So they switched to the metal ones. Much more durable but the seeing eye dogs can't tolerate the hot bumps and avoid them. And they wind up being a tripping hazard for everyone. Bob, we'll probably move this one to Hybrids and link it back here.
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Replying to: steve_ (Oct 04, 2008 8:59 am) When I started tracking this issue, I looked for 'habis corpus,' where is the body? There aren't any after 5 years of traffic data. Neither us nor the NHTSA can find any statistics that support the claims of the blind. But the blind have made claims. The blind have used a series of anecdotal stories; (1) 8 year old boy turns into a Prius; (2) circled in a parking lot; and (3) foot run-over in parking lot by backing up Prius. Except for the backing over foot incident, a real problem with rear vision in all vehicles, the others had nothing to do with sound or injury. We have had the Prius rolling around since 2001 and this is all they can find. There are no accident statistics that support their claims. The blind have commissioned various 'experiments' only the results have no consistency. This remains a problem with all such experimental efforts. You can always design an experiment to show something you want, which is the risk. Bob Wilson
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