[Blindvet-talk] Urgent Legislative Alert on the SilentCarLegislation

Sun Mar 15 15:11:29 UTC 2009

For those of you who wish to learn more of the details regarding any bill 
under consideration, if you contact your representative, someone in that 
office will be happy to explain the details.   This will enableyou to 
determine how you wish to procede in supporting or not supporting it.

While visual considerations continue to impact our daily lives, my 
experience has been  that if i am unable to accurately acess my 
surroundings, then i have limited desire to be walking there alone.

Peraps the following input is worth considering:

There are effective pedestrian safety systems such as: SAAB pedestrian 
radar; BMW pedestrian infared pedestrian detection camera; Denso combined 
radar and camera accident avoidance system; and European pedestrian safe 
bumpers and hoods. These engineering approaches save all pedestrians by 
moving beyond the failing noise of today vehicles.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Claire G. Spector" 
<c.spector at sbcglobal.net> To: "'Info and discussion list for blind 
veterans.'" <blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org> Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 1:59 
PM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Urgent Legislative Alert on the 
SilentCarLegislation

Dear David,

Thank you.

Here's a copy of the email I sent to Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey on her 
webmail site.

Dear Congresswoman Woolsey,

I urge your sponsorship and support for the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement 
Act, H.R. 734.

I am a recently visually impaired attorney.

After considerable orientation and mobility training at Earle Baum Center 
for the Blind and Visually Impaired on Occidental Road under the auspices of 
the CA Deparament of Rehabilitation, I have regained my independence relying 
on a white cane to navigate Santa Rosa.

We are trained to analyze traffic using our ears.

Northern California's environmentally conscious citizens own many Prius 
vehicles.  Even at the Collaborative Practice Center where many of my 
colleagues own Priuses, I take my life into my hands just walking out the 
door as a Prius when idling makes no sounds. I also understand from Saul 
Chait, a salesman at Freeman Toyota, that there are even safety issues for 
their employees on the lot arising from the car's quiet operating mode.

I heard on KQED there is a grad student who has developed viable appropriate 
technology to make these cars audible even when their engines are at rest. 
This might be an economic development opportunity for California.

I ask for your support in helping to get this bill through Congress.  It 
will make it possible for blind and visually impaired people to maintain 
their independence.

With appreciation for all that you do for our district and our country,

Claire G. Spector, JD

Claire Spector, JD Collaborative Attorney & Mediator NY Atty. Reg. # 1883024 
Collaborative Practice Center
829 Sonoma Avenue, Suite 8 Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707.523.0570 x 135 c.spector at sbcglobal.net

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-----Original Message----- From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews Sent: 
Saturday, March 14, 2009 7:02 AM To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org Subject: 
[Blindvet-talk] Urgent Legislative Alert on the Silent CarLegislation

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Hartle, Jesse

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 3:38 PM

Subject: Urgent Legislative Alert on The Silent Car Legislation

Fellow Federationists:

We continue to move forward in ensuring the success of the Pedestrian Safety 
Enhancement Act, H.R. 734.  Currently 89 members of the House of 
Representatives are listed as cosponsors of this legislation (please see 
below for the current list of cosponsors).  Earlier this week Congress 
passed the Omnibus Appropriations Act.  Included in that legislation was 
funds for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to 
study the problem addressed by H.R. 734 and report to Congress.  If Congress 
feels it is important enough to appropriate funds for this study, Congress 
should also direct NHTSA on how the study should be carried out.  I 
encourage you all to call your member of the House of Representatives and 
urge them to cosponsor H.R. 734 which would do just that.  Democrats will 
want to contact Congressman Towns's office, while Republicans will want to 
contact Congressman Stearns's office.  The contact in Congressman Towns's 
office is Emily Khoury, and James Thomas is the contact for Congressman 
Stearns's office.  The number to the Capitol switchboard is
(202) 225-3121.  Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will do 
my best to answer them.  I have listed my contact information below.  Thank 
you all for your continued hard work on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Jesse M. Hartle

Government Programs Specialist

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Phone:  (410) 659-9314, ext. 2233

E-mail: jhartle at nfb.org

Cosponsors of HR 734

Congressman Towns, Lead Sponsor

Alaska

Congressman Young

Arizona

Congressman Grijalva

Congressman Pastor

Arkansas

Congressman Boozman

California

Congressman Berman

Congressman Filner

Congresswoman Harman

Congresswoman Lee

Congresswoman Matsui

Congressman Rohrabacher

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez

Congressman Stark

Congresswoman Tauscher

District of Columbia

Congresswoman Norton

Florida

Congressman Bilirakis

Congresswoman Brown

Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen

Congressman Stearns

Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz

Georgia

Congressman Bishop

Congressman Lewis

Guam

Congresswoman Bordallo

Hawaii

Congressman Abercrombie

Congresswoman Hirono

Idaho

Congressman Minnick

Illinois

Congressman Davis

Congressman Gutierrez

Congressman Hare

Congressman Jackson

Congressman Roskam

Congresswoman Schakowsky

Indiana

Congressman Carson

Iowa

Congressman Boswell

Congressman Braley

Congressman King

Congressman Latham

Congressman Loebsack

Louisiana

Congressman Alexander

Congressman Melancon

Maryland

Congressman Ruppersberger

Congressman Van Hollen

Massachusetts

Congressman Capuano

Congressman McGovern

Congressman Neal

Congressman Tierney

Minnesota

Congressman Ellison

Congressman Oberstar

Congressman Peterson

Congressman Walz

Mississippi

Congressman Taylor

Missouri

Congressman Carnahan

Congresswoman Emerson

Nebraska

Congressman Terry

Nevada

Congresswoman Berkley

New Hampshire

Congresswoman Shea-Porter

New Jersey

Congressman Sires

Congressman Rothman

New York

Congressman Hinchey

Congresswoman Lowey

Congresswoman Maloney

Congressman Nadler

Congressman Rangel

Congressman Serrano

North Carolina

Congressman Jones

Congressman McIntyre

Congressman Price

Ohio

Congressman Driehaus

Congressman LaTourette

Congressman Ryan

Oregon

Congressman Blumenauer

Congressman DeFazio

Pennsylvania

Congressman Brady

Congressman Carney

Congressman Doyle

Congressman Fattah

Congressman Holden

Congressman Kanjorski

Puerto Rico

Congressman Pierluisi

Tennessee

Congressman Cohen

Texas

Congressman Neugebauer

Congressman Sessions

Vermont

Congressman Welch

Virginia

Congressman Moran

Congressman Wittman

Washington

Congressman McDermott

West Virginia

Congressman Mollohan

Congressman Rahall

Wisconsin

Congresswoman Moore

Congressman Petri

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