Hybrid Cars May Include Fake Vroom for Safety
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:16 pm
Hybrid Cars May Include Fake Vroom for Safety
NY Times, JIM MOTAVALLI, Oct 13, 2009
For decades, automakers have been on a quest to make cars quieter: an auto that purrs, and glides almost silently in traffic. They have finally succeeded. Plug-in hybrid and electric cars, it turns out, not only reduce air pollution, they cut noise pollution as well with their whisper-quiet motors. But that has created a different problem. They aren’t noisy enough.
So safety experts, worried that hybrids pose a threat if pedestrians, children and others can’t hear them approaching, want automakers to supply some digitally enhanced vroom. Indeed, just as cellphones have ring tones, “car tones” may not be far behind — an option for owners of electric vehicles to choose the sound their cars emit. Full Story
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NOTE from Brian: Hybrid vehicles need to eliminate the 'beep beep, beep' interior sound when the vehicle is backing up. Why isn't it on the outside (like for trucks when they back up?). I own a Prius and one of the most obnoxious things about it is that when you put the vehicle in Reverse, the vehicle emits a loud 'beep beep beep' sound inside the vehicle (aparently to remind the driver that the vehicle is backing up?). The loud sound acts to interfere with the ability of the driver of the vehicle to hear pedestrians, etc outside the vehicle. Remove the interior 'beep beep beep' sound when the vehicle is backing up!
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In related news, the following is from a recent study from NHTSA report Incidence of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes by Hybrid Electric Passenger Vehicles
Objective: This study examines the incidence rates of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes that involved hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and to compare the results to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles under similar circumstances.
Results: In conclusion, this study found that HEVs have a higher incidence rate of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes than do ICE vehicles in certain vehicle maneuvers. These results should serve as a guide when designing future HEVs pedestrian and bicyclist crash prevention programs. NHTSA will continue monitoring the incidence of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving HEVs. In future, a larger sample size would allow us to perform a more detailed analysis such as limiting the entire analysis to low-speed crashes, analyzing different vehicle maneuvers individually, etc. Data findings on this study will be updated when more recent State Data System and other data sources are available.
For additional information see the 2008 NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Thread on this forum.
NY Times, JIM MOTAVALLI, Oct 13, 2009
For decades, automakers have been on a quest to make cars quieter: an auto that purrs, and glides almost silently in traffic. They have finally succeeded. Plug-in hybrid and electric cars, it turns out, not only reduce air pollution, they cut noise pollution as well with their whisper-quiet motors. But that has created a different problem. They aren’t noisy enough.
So safety experts, worried that hybrids pose a threat if pedestrians, children and others can’t hear them approaching, want automakers to supply some digitally enhanced vroom. Indeed, just as cellphones have ring tones, “car tones” may not be far behind — an option for owners of electric vehicles to choose the sound their cars emit. Full Story
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NOTE from Brian: Hybrid vehicles need to eliminate the 'beep beep, beep' interior sound when the vehicle is backing up. Why isn't it on the outside (like for trucks when they back up?). I own a Prius and one of the most obnoxious things about it is that when you put the vehicle in Reverse, the vehicle emits a loud 'beep beep beep' sound inside the vehicle (aparently to remind the driver that the vehicle is backing up?). The loud sound acts to interfere with the ability of the driver of the vehicle to hear pedestrians, etc outside the vehicle. Remove the interior 'beep beep beep' sound when the vehicle is backing up!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In related news, the following is from a recent study from NHTSA report Incidence of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes by Hybrid Electric Passenger Vehicles
Objective: This study examines the incidence rates of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes that involved hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and to compare the results to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles under similar circumstances.
Results: In conclusion, this study found that HEVs have a higher incidence rate of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes than do ICE vehicles in certain vehicle maneuvers. These results should serve as a guide when designing future HEVs pedestrian and bicyclist crash prevention programs. NHTSA will continue monitoring the incidence of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving HEVs. In future, a larger sample size would allow us to perform a more detailed analysis such as limiting the entire analysis to low-speed crashes, analyzing different vehicle maneuvers individually, etc. Data findings on this study will be updated when more recent State Data System and other data sources are available.
For additional information see the 2008 NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Thread on this forum.