[Quietcars] British government says silent cars don't needartificial warning voices

Tue Jul 26 22:02:21 UTC 2011

I can sort of see their point, that is, if you travel with a guide dog, but
cane travelers are so far removed that it makes no sense to say something
like think.  There are, however, quite a few cars that are so quiet as six
or four cylinders with terribly muffled sound and balanced engines, that one
would be hard pressed to tell if they were running at all.  \

Stupidity isn't a handicap...Park elsewhere!!!

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

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Wilson
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 5:46 PM
To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] British government says silent cars don't
needartificial warning voices

I am a great believer in reading original reports and then forming an
opinion. Here is a link to the released report:

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/assessing-the-perceived-safety-risk-fr
om-quiet-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles/PPR525-assessing-the-perceived-safety-
risk-from-quiet-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles.pdf

I am about  1/3d of the way through but I'll need to do some side-by-side
checking.

Bob Wilson

> From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
> Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:24:49 -0700
> Subject: [Quietcars] British government says silent cars don't need
artificial warning voices
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The following may be of interest.
> ChuckBritish government says silent cars aren't more dangerous than
regular cars and don't need artificial warning noises. 
> 
> <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/quiet-electric-cars-pos
> e-no-da>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/quiet-electric-c
> ars-pose-no-da nger-to-visually-impaired-2319557.html
> 
> Quiet electric cars 'pose no danger' to visually impaired
> 
> Warning sounds will not be added to vehicles as government report 
> deems them unnecessary
> 
> By Matt Chorley, Political Correspondent
> 
> Sunday, 24 July 2011
> 
> Electric cars will continue to creep up silently on unsuspecting
pedestrians after a study found they were scarcely more dangerous than their
gas-guzzling counterparts. 
> 
> The Government will this week reject calls for artificial warning noises
to be broadcast by the zero-emission vehicles, despite concerns raised by
campaigners for blind and partially sighted people. 
> 
> A growing number of drivers facing rising fuel prices are opting for
electric cars or hybrid models, which switch from petrol to electric and
back. But they make almost no noise at all, making it hard for passers-by,
particularly those with visual impairments, to notice them. 
> 
> Safety experts and charities called for silent vehicles to emit noises,
with some manufacturers suggesting motorists could choose from a range of
sounds, from super-cars to the podracers from Star Wars. The Guide Dogs for
the Blind Association has warned electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles that
operate on electric power at low speed, are "virtually silent". As a result
there are "serious implications for the independent mobility and safety of
blind and partially sighted people". 
> 
> However, a study commissioned by the Department for Transport will warn
that "careful consideration" needs to be given to the "challenging" idea of
adding artificial sounds, because it risks having little impact against
general background noise. 
> 
> Norman Baker, the Lib Dem transport minister, said ahead of the report's
publication that the Government remains "committed to the introduction of
electric vehicles in a way that will complement long-standing efforts to
protect vulnerable road users". 
> 
> He added: "Concerns about quiet vehicles are understandable, and we need
to make sure that electric vehicles do not pose any additional threat to
pedestrians. All drivers have a responsibility to drive safely and with
consideration for other road users." 
> 
> A series of experiments on test tracks measured the noise produced by four
electric and four internal combustion engine cars travelling at different
speeds and performing manoeuvres including parking and pulling away. 
> 
> The research, due to be published tomorrow, will show that at low 
> speeds of
> 7-8 kmh (5mph) electric cars were just one decibel quieter than petrol
cars. When speeds were increased to more than 20 kmh (12mph), the noise
levels were "similar", with tyre noise dominating. "There does not appear to
be any significant difference in the acoustic nature of [internal combustion
engine] vehicles and [electric and hybrid] vehicles, and as such nothing
suggests a pedestrian would clearly be able to differentiate between vehicle
types," the report says. 
> 
> In a separate test, 10 visually impaired people listened to audio
recordings taken from the test track, as if they were waiting on a kerbside,
to determine at what point they could hear the vehicle. It found that in a
semi-rural environment, the risk posed by electric cars was 1.4 times
greater than standard vehicles, and 1.3 times greater in urban conditions.
Electric cars were "far more difficult to detect" when pulling away. 
> 
> The study found that while electric cars may pose a "potential risk" to
visually impaired pedestrians, especially in city centres, "the scale of the
problem is currently very small". The issue is also complicated by the
development of increasingly quiet petrol and diesel engines, in response to
demand for a quieter driving experience. 
> 
> Last month the coalition faced fierce criticism for pulling the plug on
plans for a national network of "charging points", promised in the
Conservative manifesto. Ministers said there was a lack of demand, because
most electric car owners would charge them overnight at home. 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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