[il-talk] Fw: [Nfb-seniors] Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars

[Don Gillmore]

F.Y.I!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)" 
<JFreeh at nfb.org>
To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 5:51 AM
Subject: [Nfb-seniors] Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind 
Pedestrians from Silent Cars



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org





Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to
Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars





Urge Passage as Part of Motor Vehicle Safety Act



Baltimore, Maryland (May 19, 2010): The National
Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American
Council of the Blind (ACB), the Alliance of
Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), and the
Association of International Automobile
Manufacturers (AIAM) announced today that they
have agreed on proposed legislative language that
will protect blind pedestrians and others from
the danger posed by silent vehicle technology.
The four organizations are urging Congress to
adopt and pass the language as part of the Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 2010­which is currently
pending in both houses of Congress­as quickly as
possible.  The proposed language would require
the Department of Transportation to promulgate a
motor vehicle safety standard requiring
automobiles to emit a minimum level of sound to
alert the blind and other pedestrians.



Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, said: "The National
Federation of the Blind commends the automobile
industry for its leadership on this issue and for
its genuine concern for the safety of blind
Americans, cyclists, runners, small children, and
other pedestrians.  We look forward to working
with the parties to this agreement, the United
States Congress, and the Department of
Transportation to ensure that <?xml:namespace
prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/>America's streets remain safe, both for those
who drive and for those who do not."



"Good policy is a collaborative effort, and this
is a good approach for pedestrians and
automakers," said Dave McCurdy, President and CEO
of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.



Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and
evaluate traffic using their vision, they must
listen to traffic to discern its speed,
direction, and other attributes in order to
travel safely and independently.  Other people,
including pedestrians who are not blind,
cyclists, runners, seniors, and small children,
also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle
engines.  New vehicles that employ hybrid or
electric engine technology can be silent,
rendering them extremely dangerous in situations
where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other.



A recent report released by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that
hybrid and electric vehicles are nearly twice as
likely to be involved in accidents with
pedestrians as vehicles with internal combustion engines.





###







About the National Federation of the Blind



With more than 50,000 members, the National
Federation of the Blind is the largest and most
influential membership organization of blind
people in the United States.  The NFB improves
blind people's lives through advocacy, education,
research, technology, and programs encouraging
independence and self-confidence.  It is the
leading force in the blindness field today and
the voice of the nation's blind.  In January 2004
the NFB opened the National Federation of the
Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and
training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.


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