[Quietcars] Passenger defeatable systems.

Mon May 31 01:15:19 UTC 2010

The House Energy and Commerce Committee adopted the Sterns Amendment for H.R. 5381:

http://energycommerce.house.gov/documents/20100526/HR5381.Amendment.Stearns.pdf

What is interesting is Section 109 (f):

"8 (f) STUDY AND REPORT.-Not later than 4 years
9 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
10 complete a study and report to Congress as to whether
11 there exists a safety need to apply the motor vehicle safety
12 standard required by subsection (a) to conventional motor
13 vehicles. In the event that the Secretary determines there
14 exists a safety need, the Secretary shall initiate rule-
15 making under section 30111 of title 49, United States
16 Code to extend the standard to conventional motor vehicles."

What is interesting is only one media outlet, the Washington Post made reference to the House Committee meeting adopting this legislative language. That is how I managed to get a copy of the markup session record.

Then we have the interesting problem of NHTSA report DOT HW 811 204, September 2009, pp. 13, which in table 6a, pp. 13 claims, "making a turn, 19 (1.8%), and backing 7 (5.3%)" and then attempt to claim these two number mean hybrids are twice as dangerous as non-hybrids. I have met Hanna Refaat, the author, and I am genuinely sorry he sacrificed his reputation for this report. The blood will be on his hands and conscience . . . if he has one.

I just started reading DOT HS 811 304, April 2010, "Quieter Cars and the Safety Of Blind Pedestrians: Phase I". Sad to say, it is obvious this report has problems with facts and data. But the last paragraph, pp. 4 in the Executive Summary pretty well lays out the problem . . . the absence of a fact based, NHTSA team supporting this effort.

David Evans, I would like to share these words from Machiavelli:

“When you disarm the people, 
you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either 
through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions 
generate hatred...”
By insisting upon 'disarming' the operator from generating the noise, even if tied to the turn signals, emergency flashers, and backup lights, this legislation confirms your opinion that,

". . . you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred ..."

I'm sorry but this legislation is flawed and as long as folks assent by their silence to this flawed legislation, the results as predictable as the dawn. The right answer is to contact one's Congressional representatives about the flaws of H.R. 5381 and S. 3302. If your Congress Critters are selectively deaf, contact your local news source.

The irony is I have no problem with adding external audio alarms to turn signals, emergency flashers, and backup lights. This is something all vehicles need, not only hybrids but ordinary cars. It could really make a difference . . . especially if it is a unique signal designed to alert pedestrians. But that is now how the Sterns Amendment is written . . . as stealthy as it is.

Bob Wilson

> Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 17:37:45 -0400
> From: mrtownsend at optonline.net
> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Passenger defeatable systems.
> 
> I would think that a bipartisan effort could continue, devoid of all of the
> bickering that has placed much of the decent legislative efforts in jeopardy
> during the first 18 months of this administration.  Laughingly, people were
> more reasonable under bush, which is scary.
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Deborah Kent Stein
> Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 4:47 PM
> To: Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety
> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Passenger defeatable systems.
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Mike,
> 
> Those of us who've been working on the "quiet car legislation" for the past
> several years are concerned with precisely the issues you raise.  The fact
> that the two major manufacturing consortiums have signed on - the Alliance
> of Automobile Manufacturers and the Alliance of International Automobile
> Manufacturers - reflects the fact that people in the industry share our goal
> of establishing a universal standard.  The level of co-operation we have
> obtained thus far has been very encouraging.  This even holds true in
> Congress - the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (HR734 and its Senate
> counterpart, S841), as a stand-alone bill, was one of the most bipartisan
> bills making its way through the legislature.  May this support continue in
> the critical weeks and months to come!
> 
> Debbie
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "michael townsend" <mrtownsend at optonline.net>
> To: <quietcars at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 10:31 AM
> Subject: [Quietcars] Passenger defeatable systems.
> 
> 
> > David, as a car nut, and I'll leave my love of cars at that, I've never
> > driven, though I know the mechanics of it.  I've never owned a car, though
> > I've worked on friends' cars as a hobby and as a very high interest.
> >
> > As a person who understands such things as defeatable systems, i.e., the
> > flawed attempts of the auto industry who made seatbelts able to be gotten
> > around by consumers in the 1970s, I know about which you speak to this 
> > point
> > of "defeatable" systems.
> >
> > I remember that weight on a seat triggered a buzzer, and a rather annoying
> > one at that, in most American cars, which, if one looked for a wire 
> > harness
> > underneath the seat, one could "defeat that system" in seconds.  A simple
> > coupler was used and if you pinched a fastener and pulled it out of a 
> > female
> > holder,  you had no more seatbelt warning system.
> >
> > Some more expensive models coupled the seatbelt activation systems to the
> > ignition, and they could be gotten around as well, though with a bit more
> > difficulty.
> >
> > I think that any warning system should be audible, activated with
> > nondefeatable sensors at the four corners of the car, and there should be 
> > a
> > pleasant, yet discernable tone that would not be mistaken for anything 
> > else,
> > and that this same warning system and tone should be mandated across the
> > board.
> >
> > I'm saying that BMW, Mercedes and GM, as well as the Japanese counterparts
> > should use the same system, so that one wouldn't have to confuse a warning
> > sound with another street sound, or have to define a Toyota from a Volvo
> > from a Chevy.
> >
> > So far, I don't think that this has been proposed, and correct me if I'm
> > wrong on this.  And, this may be the downfall of the proposed legislative
> > effort.  This is a really great cause, but things like this have a way of
> > blocking things from passage.
> >
> > You see, we can't get senators and congress to agree on spending bills, 
> > Wall
> > Street reform or even proposed standards as they relate to service or 
> > guide
> > animals.
> >
> > I applaud the efforts of each blindness org and automotive group who's
> > fought for such legislation, but the hard part is just getting  started.
> >
> > And, congress and the senate have to remove themselves and their selfish,
> > political needs and wants from the needs ad wants of the average Joe or
> > Jill; something which I am afraid that neither party has been willing to 
> > so
> > accomplish, regardless of whose administration has been in office!
> >
> > Mike
> > T
> >
> >
> > "I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself...but I 
> > think
> > I have
> > a right to resent, to object to, libelous statements about my dog."
> > -Franklin D. Roosevelt
> > Mike Townsend and Seeing Eye dog Brent
> > Dunellen, New Jersey  08812
> > emails:  mrtownsend at optonline.net;
> > michael.townsend54 at gmail.com
> > Home Phone:  732  200-5643
> > Cellular:  732  718-9480
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> 
> 
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