[Nfbv-announce] NFB of Virginia Raises Awareness of Growing "Silent" Danger

[Corbbmacc O'Connor]

Hi John,

Uhh...you misspelled Fred's name. He's Fredric.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Bailey <john_bailey17 at hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 2:57 PM
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] NFB of Virginia Raises Awareness of Growing
"Silent" Danger
To: NFB of Virginia Information and Announcements <nfbv-announce at nfbnet.org>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT:

John Bailey

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

(703) 994-2040

info at VirginiaQuietCars.org



NFB of Virginia Raises Awareness of Growing "Silent" Danger
Announcing a website to inform the public about the potential
dangers raised by the proliferation of silent hybrid cars


Fairfax, Virginia (August 14, 2010): The National Federation of the
Blind of Virginia (NFBV) responds to the danger of America's growing
population of hybrid automobiles by introducing VirginiaQuietCars.org.
VirginiaQuietCars.org is a brand new website designed by the National
Federation of the Blind of Virginia in response to the growing trend
for automobile manufacturers to design extremely quiet vehicles.



These "quiet cars" are currently causing injuries on American roads,
as a recent research report sponsored by the U.S. Government has said
"that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in pedestrian
crashes at low speeds compared with cars with conventional engines."



Dr. Frederick K. Schroeder, President of the NFBV, has stated that,
"Automobiles that make no noise as they move through intersections are
not just a hazard to those who cannot see, they are dangerous to
anyone who is used to listening to traffic to know when it is safe to
cross.  The National Federation of the Blind has been aware of this
potential danger for years and is working with the automobile industry
to make sure no one is killed because they did not hear the car
coming."VirginiaQuietCars.org provides information, blog posts and
videos designed to give the public and the media a comprehensive
understanding of the problems that quiet cars pose to all pedestrians
(with and without sight).




VirginiaQuietCars.org is also announcing the premier of its media
vault as part of its comprehensive educational website!  The first
presentation in the media vault is a video featuring Greg DeWall as he
demonstrates how someone who is totally blind can safely cross
intersections.  Greg's video is a great way to show the public how
blind pedestrians use their hearing to determine when it is safe to
traverse traffic.  Viewers are able to watch Greg as he shows the
process that thousands currently use to travel safely. Greg also
explains to viewers how quiet cars can disrupt this process and turn
crossing the street into a dangerous ordeal.




The second video in the media vault challenges viewers to use their
sense of hearing to judge when it is time to cross a street.  You can
listen to the ever changing patterns of traffic noise and judge for
yourself when you should cross.  This is an enlightening exercise that
entertains as well as educates.  Again, the increasing presence of
noiseless hybrid automobiles will continue to make this task nearly
impossible.




The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia has been fighting for
the rights of Virginia's low vision and blind population for over
fifty years. Through both educational and advocacy programs, the NFBV
has become a powerful influence for change. We believe that the
greatest obstacles to full participation by the blind in society are
simply misunderstandings about vision loss which can be overcome by
education and fellowship.




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