Car Tech forum: Poll: Noise generators for hybrid cars to keep people safe?

So exactly what sort of noise & who will make the decision? Some are talking about typre noise or engine noise mostly because that is the traditional sort made by cars. But what if 'other' noise making equipment was also considered? Someone mentioned ticking.

What about sound in the form of music..........or spoken words like "GET OUTTA THE WAY, GET OUTTA THE WAY!" lol or "COMING THROUGH!" lol or "broomm, broomm! lol

Or extrapilating that to it's unsavory ends......noise in the form of advertising, jingles, latest hits, etc that the driver/ owner could earn a few bucks from.

Oh the thought leaves me breathless! Yet another reason to stay away from inhabited places in the future!

As a child growing up in the UK we had many electric vehicles on the streets. All were batterry operated and used to deliver milk, groceries etc. (yes, almost everything was delivered to the door) They didn't make any noise and, I am sure, nobody was killed walking in front of them. The same for the newer hybrids. Although they are not selling as well as expected, putting noise generators on them is counterproductive. You would have to have some sort of energy expended just to make the noise. Again, it doesn't make sense.
Whatever happened to "Look both ways before you cross the street"?

I stayed for a while in a neighborhood with brick streets that covered several tens of blocks. There was this constant low hum that I couldn't figure out until I was driving in one day and noticed the car was making it on the brick work. I am glad it was a short stay because if I had bought a house in that area I would have had to move out. Very annoying.

I say the above because I can easily see the same situation as an unintended consequence. Lots of quiet noise generators on otherwise quiet cars that add up to a constant low roar of noise pollution.

Pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings. Drivers need to be aware of pedestrians because some are deaf (my 84 year old mother) who wouldn't hear the noise generator anyway, or the blind who can not see the silent car coming. Drivers need to be prepared to stop if they are cruising at low speed. And make no mistake, low speed is all this is good for, tires make more noise than modern exhaust systems.

Car drivers, pedestrians, cyclers, and all other forms of traffic need to install more attentiveness to the act of maneuvering in traffic and not to add more noise makers. Quiet is good. Just be aware of what is going on around you.

I deleted your post.

The language was offensive.

Mark

The only noise I would like to have relative to my Prius (I have owned three since 2004) is a "backing up" warning beeper. In parking lots, people are constantly trying to get injured even when they can hear a car start or the engine noise. With the Prius there is no start up noise, nor engine noise when backing. I try to be expecially alert, but stil feel a backup warning beeper would help. The need for additional noise could become more of a problem as more cars are becoming "silent electric" sneeky beasts.
JML

It is much more likely that a car driver is being careless than a cyclist or pedestrian, in a town with a lot of both that in many cases have to share the same roads or shoulders with no sidewalks, I do see how these cars may benefit from a secondary horn or whistle that can be used to warn them upon approach. However, I am much more curious about how many accidents these vehicles encounter due to animals on the road that would have otherwise fled due to noise. I shudder to think that noise pollution may increase instead of decreasing with our improvements, and if you are driving a car of any kind it is your responsibility not to run over the bikes that share the same road or hit the person who has to walk somewhere without sidewalks or paved shoulders. Maybe they should be looking at how little regard these hybrid owners have for other people, rather than how their cars can be modified to keep them from committing vehicular manslaughter.

Why not something like the current backup noise - the same method could be used.

Watch car ads. The more expensive cars tout the fact that they will wake up the driver if the driver nods off, adjust speed if the driver is following too close and even park themselves.

If I'm too tired or inattentive to do these tasks, I should not be driving. I consider it my responsibility to watch on and off ramps and ahead of me for merging traffic at all times - and I consider it my responsibility to watch for pedestrians, particularly in city areas.

I do believe that as a pedestrian, it's important that I use all of my senses when crossing streets. Look before you cross the street and turn off the music so you are aware of your surroundings. I believe that there is equal responsibility in most negative car/pedestrian incidents. As my parents used to say, as a pedestrian, you may have the right of way but if you aren't paying attention to the traffic, you may be dead right.

When it comes to hybrid cars, there is one segment of the population for whom I would suggest hybrid owners be especially vigilant - blind and visually impaired pedestrians. I know many blind and visually impaired adults who get around their cities just fine but they have admitted that they rely heavily on their ears to let them know that it is safe to cross - and hybrids have made that more difficult.

Legislation won't fix that. Vigilance and sensitivity on the part of drivers will.

It's your life, you take care of it.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Why should someone else have to look after you?

Hybrid drivers must, nonetheless, be aware that others, maybe, cannot hear them.
Therefore an extra bit of caution should be applied.
I believe one of the basic road rules in Australia is Duty of Care.
That means all road users must take into consideration all other road users at all times.
I, for one, do tend to Stop, Look and Listen when outside my bedroom.