[Quietcars] Preliminary 2007 Accident Analysis

Mon May 18 11:14:23 UTC 2009

Michael, Once again I'm going out on a limb here and just wanted to make a
statement.  

I don't think that ANYONE is ever denying the fact that hybrid vehicles pose
problems for those who are walking on bicycles, or possibly driving cars.
What the problem is is two fold.  

First, we have to come up with realistic noise making devices for the cars
to allert all pedestrians or drivers of four, two wheeled or other vehicles,
and then, organizations who are comprised of persons who belong to them have
to stop playing the pity party game in thinking that they are the only ones
effected or inconvenienced by the hybrid.  

I do not think that Bob's summary in any way said that Toyota didn't care
about changing things around so tat an accident couldn't be had.  But what
they said was that they have made their vehicles safer, in case someone was
hit.  And, secondly of the accidents noted, two especially were unrelated to
noiseless travel, as the persons walked out on to a highway.  

As I repeatedly will say, we bear some responsibility as pedestrians too
keep up with the technology and interact with it as best we can until a
suitable solution is found.  

I am an advocate for dog guide access and safety, and the proactive handling
that we all should entertain.  I am also a car nut, and I try and understand
things from the automotive standpoint so that I and my guides can safely
travel and avoid accidents. I wish others would do the same on this and
other blindness lists instead of constantly  whining about things and
blaming everyone but themselves for not being properly informed.  That's the
easy part.  The hard part is working together to find a solution, and this
is what I commend the ACB, NFB and several of our legislators I trying to
accomplish.

I would bet that if we took a survey on list of those who've interacted with
hybrid vehicles, we'd find the numbers would be less than 60 percent,  You
can't know if it's a hybrid unless someone tells you, you're aware of the
types of vehicles which are hybrid, or you're just lucky.  Even first
responders to accidents most times are unaware of which vehicles are hybrids
and they have sight.  Badging and notations n the vehicle certainly will
allert those first responders to such, but unless these vehicles make some
kind of noise and give off an audible clue, we won't be able to know.  

And this is why I'm such a big advocate of mobility instructors' teaching
proper cane etiquette, a guide dog handler being made aware through a school
or field rep of which training techniques are available, or, if none of the
above seem plausible, that people contact friends however possible to see if
they can bring a hybrid by to allow one to familiarize one with a vehicle.  

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Michael Hingson
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 3:50 PM
To: 'Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety'
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Preliminary 2007 Accident Analysis

Bob,

I think that going back to the beginning, while providing a larger sample,
will not necessarily provide accurate results.  We are now just getting to a
stage where a large number of these vehicles are on the road.

So, have we gotten out of the pioneer driver stage?  Is the complexion of
hybrid and silent car drivers changing?

No matter, the basic point is still that no matter how differently
manufacturers construct their vehicles without auditory cues of some kind
the manufacturers are endangering pedestrians.  Denying this is like saying
that sighted people do not require light to function including driving
about.

Mike Hingson

The Michael Hingson Group
     “Speaking with Vision”
                 Michael Hingson, President
                         (415) 827-4084
                   info at michaelhingson.com
                   www.michaelhingson.com

for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit:
http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Wilson
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 9:52 AM
To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Preliminary 2007 Accident Analysis

Hi Mike,

.. . .> The statistical sample is still quite small. . . .
I agree that for one year, 2007, the total number of Prius accidents as a
sample set remains smaller than statistically desirable but it would be
wrong to dismiss it. In my case, expanding the analysis to cover all years
we have had Prius, back to the earliest sales in 2000, would bring us back
into large numbers that meet anyone's statistical confidence level. As time
moves on, the accident sample set grows larger and the 2007 data is
relatively new.
Bob Wilson

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