[Nfbmo] Fw: [Missouri-l] Fw: [Quietcars] From yesterday's USA Today

danflasar at aol.com danflasar at aol.com
Thu Nov 12 18:08:14 UTC 2009


     Sometimes we just hate to be right, you know?  It's good that this report has come to light, no so good that there indeed have been more pedestrians and cyclists injured by otherwise great technology.   Nothing says
'Fix-it' like proof that your product is unsafe.
    But the notes on what the cars should sound like - well, I just can't resist:
    Perhaps Bill Cosby's old character, Fat Albert", could be called to duty?
    "Hey, Hey HEY!"
That would get our attention but it would probably get really obnoxious after a few days.
Dan



-----Original Message-----
From: Wunder, Gary <WunderG at health.missouri.edu>
To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List' <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thu, Nov 12, 2009 8:46 am
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Fw: [Missouri-l] Fw: [Quietcars] From yesterday's USA Today



I respectfully suggest that a car needs to sound like a car, or, more 
enerically, a vehicle needs to sound like a vehicle. I like Glen Campbell and 
ames Taylor, but when something outweighs me 20 or 40 to 1, I want to know it 
s a vehicle and not a performer's band from down the street.
 
-----Original Message-----
rom: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
red olver
ent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:37 AM
o: NFB of Missouri Mailing List; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
ubject: [Nfbmo] Fw: [Missouri-l] Fw: [Quietcars] From yesterday's USA Today

---- Original Message -----
rom: "Chip Hailey" <chiphailey at cableone.net>
o: <missouri-l at moblind.org>
ent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:32 PM
ubject: [Missouri-l] Fw: [Quietcars] From yesterday's USA Today

>
> http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2009/11/620001194/1
> ****
> Hybrid cars hit pedestrians and bikers more often than conventional 
> cars, study finds
>
> Hybrid vehicles, which creep along almost silently at low speeds on 
> electric power, are more likely to hit pedestrians or bicycles than 
> regular cars, a
> study by the
> National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
> finds.
>
> The report (see it by
> clicking here
> ) is sure to give a boost to the movement to require hybrid cars to 
> include noisemakers so that bikers, pedestrians -- especially the 
>  blind -- know they
> are coming. Several makers already say they have
> such a system on the way.
>
> The NHTSA report was actually done about a month ago, but didn't come  to 
> light until it was
> reported by  Consumer Reports last week
> . It compared the rate of accidents among hybrid vehicles and powered 
> only by gas engines when it comes to pedestrians and bikes. Said 
> Consumer Reports
> on its blog:
>
> block quote
> NHTSA looked at state-level crash files to compare crash rates on  these 
> two types of vehicles. Out of 8,387 hybrids 77 (or 0.9%) were  involved 
> in crashes
> with pedestrians. Out of 559,703 conventional vehicles studied, 3,578 
> (or 0.6%) were involved in crashes with pedestrians. In crashes 
> involving bicyclists,
> 48 (or almost 0.6%) were involved in crashes with a hybrid vehicle 
> whereas conventional vehicles were implicated in 1,862 (or 0.3%) of 
> crashes.
>
> block quote end
>
> It's a shame in a way. For decades, automakers have been trying to 
> figure out how to make cars quieter. So finally they come up with 
> vehicles so quiet that
> about the only sounds is the gravel crushing under the wheels and, lo 
> and behold, it could be too dangerous because no one can hear it coming.
>
> So the question is, how to create the proper hybrid noisemaker? Should 
> it be a high-tech, spaceship sound? Maybe make it kind of a white  noise 
> like a TV
> that doesn't work? Once Drive On heard a car coming a half-mile away. 
> When it came into sight, it was a 1963 Chevrolet Impala low-rider 
> blaring Led Zeppelin
> from a pair of forward-aimed speakers. Thought it was pretty cool at  the 
> time.


 To unsubscribe from the Missouri-L list, send an email message to:
 Missouri-l-request at MoBlind.org
 with the word, unsubscribe in the subject field.

 Other email lists available from MCB include:
 ATI - A general discussion of adaptive technology.  To join, send a blank 
 EMail message to:
 ATI-Join at MoBlind.Org
 Chat - A general discussion list.  Just about anything goes.  To Join, 
 send a blank EMail message to:
 Chat-Join at MoBlind.Org

 Visit the MCB home Page at:
 WWW.MoBlind.Org 

______________________________________________
fbmo mailing list
fbmo at nfbnet.org
ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
o unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfbmo:
ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/wunderg%40health.missouri.edu
_______________________________________________
fbmo mailing list
fbmo at nfbnet.org
ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
o unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfbmo:
ttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/danflasar%40aol.com




More information about the NFBMO mailing list