Hybrid News

Advocates want vehicles to make some sound

By Rick Rojas
rrojas@courier-journal.com They′re quiet, save gas and are easier on the environment.
But for blind pedestrians, hybrid vehicles are accidents just waiting to happen, advocates say.

Now a move is under way in Washington to require manufacturers of hybrids to set minimum sound standards for new cars and trucks, with advocates arguing blind pedestrians can′t hear the nearly silent vehicles, which use a gas engine for higher speeds and an electric motor for slower speeds.
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Another idea is to use a feature similar to a panic button on many vehicles’ keyless remotes. A blind person would carry a device, and if they neared a vehicle, the device would be triggered to sound an alarm.

&quotWe’re going to have to use technology,&quot said Robert J. Wilson, chief executive officer of 625k Inc., an Alabama-based company that works to maintain older hybrids. But he said that could be difficult, as another sound from a hybrid might not be discernible to a pedestrian amid the chorus of traffic noise.

Still, he said, he understands the concern.

"All they want is the hybrid cars to make noise," he said.
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