[Quietcars] immediate and delayed effects of legislation

[michael townsend]

It may be that manufacturers may try and stall compliance regarding these
hybrid and electric car issues, but it's bound to take shape, despite what
hey do.  We have to know, however, that there are going to be issues with
proprietary software, gaining entrée into certain manufacturers' software,
so-called design issues, and as of yet, nobody has agreed upon the sound
that a car or better still, each vehicle should make and where it should
emanate from on the vehicle, etc., to my knowledge.  I say this as a car
enthusiast, a guide dog handler and a person without sight, last.  I phrased
that last sent3ence in this way because these quiet cars not only effect us
blind citizens, but all persons who travel on foot, in cars or by other
means of conveyance.  These laws, if you think out them, will assist
everyone in keeping safe, thus, there is larger than a blind or elderly
audience to play for.  

I see many entanglements that will occur, the least of which is that
everyone thinks that this is a good idea and they will have to do it.  We
know why, now comes the how, where, when and so on.  This may take, as bob W
says, years.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Ken Stewart
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 2:54 PM
To: Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety
Subject: [Quietcars] immediate and delayed effects of legislation

I agree that it will be quite a while before we have federal regs, and in
the meantime, I wonder if there will be an unintended negative side
effect...  a manufacturer holding off making an improvement not risking
creating a design which may ultimately be out of compliance with a
not-yet-knowable requirement.  And, speaking of "negatives" for potential
purchasers, is a design that is a "noise generator".  In my advocacy, I
refer to an "audible aspect".  "Sound feature" also avoids the negative ring
of "noise..".
--- On Sat, 1/29/11, Robert Wilson <bwilson4web at hotmail.com> wrote:


From: Robert Wilson <bwilson4web at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] Chevrolet volt review: No mention of audible cues
for pedestrians.
To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011, 9:17 PM



Hi Michael,

> Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:44:40 -0500
> From: mrtownsend at optonline.net
> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Quietcars] Chevrolet volt review: No mention of audible cues
for    pedestrians.
> 
> In doing research on the Chevrolet Volt, the only thing I found for 
> accessible cues to allert bystanders is that the driver can activate 
> and deactivate a horn if someone's getting too close to this vehicle. . .
.
Whatever is around today doesn't really matter. I would recommend reading
the text of S.841 to understand what has been
passed:http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111s841is/pdf/BILLS-111s841is.pdf
According to language of S.841, the NHTSA has 90 days to start a study. The
study can take up to two years to complete before submission to Congress.
Within 90 days of the submission, the NHTSA issues regulations usually with
a 90 day comment period. Then within two years, the regulations come into
effect. The language suggests the longest duration is four and a half to
five years. 
The shortest could be just under three years: start the study now; a quick
study and release it to Congress; 90 days to issue regulations and; two
years to have the mandated noise generators show up in new cars. We are
already three weeks after S.841 was signed on January 4 and no announcement
of the 'study'. It might help to look at another piece of legislated safety
changes.
The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act was signed in February
28, 2008. The final regulations will be approved in February 2011 with
compliance mandatory in two years, 2013. This is roughly five years from law
to implementation for regulations that address 200 documented deaths per
year. 
Bob Wilson



                          
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