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

[michael townsend]

In reflecting upon the collective efforts of blindness organizations and
support group to lobby congress to pass the effective legislation which
would allow for stricter controls and policies with reference to hybrid
vehicles, I further think that a lot more effort needs to be placed upon
both driver awareness of pedestrians' rights as well as pedestrian awareness
of changes in the rules of the road and the types of driving conditions and
drivers that use our roads today. 

For example, many pedestrians as well as motor vehicle operators are unaware
of which streets one may turn right on red, and thus, this may be cause for
a lot of MVAs or unnecessary mishaps.  

There are drivers who come from many foreign lands who are driving today,
legally or illegally.  Our rules of driving are different in the states than
in anywhere else in the world, and many vehicle operators may be unaware of
signage and they may not comprehend fully what these signs are depicting.
Thus, stricter enforcement of the rules regarding driving privileges
definitely needs to be stepped up.  However, with the economy the way it is,
many law enforcement agencies and our federal government may not have the
budget to completely ensure that these undertakings are successful.  

ALL cars are quieter today, not just hybrids, and with stricter laws regard
noise emissions, even a once noisy V8 engined vehicle may be quieter today.
Diesel engines in VW, Chevy ad Ford are very much quieter than even five to
ten years ago, accord to my ears which have listened to all kinds of
automobile engines for at least 45 years since I was bitten by the auto bug.


With people using more electronic equipment in their cars today, not
necessarily limited to cellular phones, but nav systems and electronically
controlled devices in their more complicated music systems, attention is
diverted from the roads around them and that activity to tuning in stuff,
changing songs and looking at and listening to directions they're receiving.
This does not bode well for foot travelers.  

Conversely, we as pedestrians should be more aware of street crossings and
the activities taking plac3e around us, the changing construction in our
towns and cities, and we shouldn't abuse the privileges of using our
cellular phones and nav devices while traveling on foot.  Overly depending
on a guide dog to keep us safe, which some of the guide dog handlers do, or
relying on the advice of fellow travelers or friends with whom we're waling
isn't the right solution either.  

Engaging in frank discussions with our city officials about happenings that
change the landscape the areas in which we travel, or getting familiar with
our mobility specialists or dog guide field reps to enlighten us in crossing
difficult intersections would be a great thing, and making appointments to
receive such help if we need it is imperative to our remaining upright
instead of becoming an accident statistic in today's more complicated
traveler's scenario.  

I do applaud those organizations, as I've stated who are lobbying for
congressional and senatorial support that would make mandatory some form of
noise emitting device that would be included in a quieter car's design
either from the ground up and/or that could be retrofitted to a quieter
car's electronics and that could NOT be tampered with nor turned off by a
driver.  However, have we collectively come to an agreement as to which type
of noise this sounder would make or what type of device, whether it be
something that would emanate from all four corners of a vehicle or from just
front and back or from one direction only would be?  Is this suggestion
included in this proposed agreement?  Is there a link to this platform that
one can read, and if so, could someone post it on the quietcars list?  

Thanks for posting the piece on the various agency or organizations'
agreement.  

 Mike T
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Freeh, Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 6:51 AM
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Quietcars] 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 2010-which is currently pending in
both houses of Congress-as 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
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/>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.