Prius too quiet? New proposal may end the silence.

[Barcelona Red Lass]

I have a device for this already. It's called a HORN, and if some dopey person runs out into the road when they shouldn't I honk it. Generally it works really well.

[ny biker]

While we're adding noisemakers, I think we should also make it mandatory for hybrids to spew noxious fumes. Make them like the truck whose exhaust almost knocked me flat while I was walking back from lunch today. That would be impossible to miss.

[Clar]

Once this bill passes, I'll tell my congressman to introduce another bill:

Each and every hybrid car should force its engine to kicks in constantly once below 40mph, and install some type of device that generate a LOT of vibration to the surrounding area such as 20" subwoofer so a person who is both blind AND deaf will be able to feel a car that's coming toward him or her, .

[SparrowHawk60]

Over the past couple of years, none of the people who were killed by a car while crossing the street in NY City, have been hit by a Prius! (At least none that have had the media exploit the story for this reason.)

[zeeman]

Originally Posted by BubbaMcGeeHee

I just saw a story on Foxnews.com

Congress to Introduce Bill to Protect Blind People From Hybrid Cars

FOXNews.com - Congress to Introduce Bill to Protect Blind People From Hybrid Cars - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum

What do you folks think of it? Any comments?

i am sure that big and noisy SUV owners are salivating on that headline
and, if it was on Fox news then it must be true
<eyeballs rolling>



it sure seems that best thing to do is tag/track not only our cars but microchip and track via GPS each of us so that we can be tracked by a central computer, in case we are on path of that blind person.

and just to be on the safe side lets hang a "beep-beep, we are here" device around each of our necks so that deaf people can hear us, in case we step out of our quiet car and open the door of our car that have "beep-beep, here is a hybrid car" type of device installed.


hey, i am sure that some 'people' in government would believe that this is a good idea and that "quiet car running over a blind person" tax should be imposed, just in case... because you never know.


hey, come to think of it -- we better attach a "beep-beep" device on dogs, cats, bicycles, scooters, skateboards and kid's toys, just to be on safe side, so that blind can hear us!
imagine if a 2 year old would cut off a blind man with his tricycle, causing blind man to trip and fall.

naughty little boy... he should had beep-beep device that is approved and registered by government.

anyways, i am sure that such cacophony of sounds would be welcome by all of those people who watch Fox TV and who believe that Congress is actually a institution that employs normal people who look after us and that they still have common sense!



i wonder, what will it take so that we begin to think without help from idiotic media ..

is that even possible...or ??

[david81]

My solution seems to be hitting a brick wall right now....

Just can't seem to find a print house that will do Braille bumper stickers....

[hampdenwireless]

This bill has no shot of passing. Its just a bunch of dumb people who have no clue. There is no problem.

In DC several people WITH sight have been hit and killed by loud buses in the past twelve months. Noise is not going to fix the problem.

I do understand that the blind have more trouble crossing at intersections. At higher speeds hybrids make comparable noise to luxury v6 cars <the quietest non hybrids> and at lower speeds like parking lots where the hybrids are only making tire noise, the speeds are so slow its usually not much of an issue.

So the only real issue is speeders. A Prius or other hybrid owner could drive in a parking lot at 20mph silently (where they should be doing 5-10) but they would be at fault.

[Godiva]

Sorry, but I think blind people could "hear" my car fine. They are very perceptive to sounds, especially when out walking where there are cars.

It's everyone else yakking on their cell phones and in a hurry someplace that is oblivious. How do I know? I installed a back up beeper that can be heard on the outside and I watch them ignore me in my rear view mirror. I'm creeping backwards and they still ignore me or act "surprised". (More like annoyed *I* should dare to back up at all making them swerve slightly from their arrow straight sprint to who cares.)

[vuapplepudding]

What a waste of our tax payer dollars spent on this "bill" and others like it. Just so a few can say they entered X number of bills for the purpose of a long political career.

Here in Nebraska, they just passed a bill that will increase gas taxes by $0.01 per gallon because people are using less. Another bill for another $0.03 increase to follow. The governor vetoed the bill but he was overridden. Too bad.

Next thing you know they will add a "WHEEL TAX" on all electric & hybrid cars because they do not use any gas or very little.

THEMS BATS, THEY SMART, THEY GOT RADAR OR SOMETHING.

If the politicians are that concerned with the blind and their safety, give every blind person a Doppler radar or something so they are protect from any moving object, even bullets. What the heck, give'm body armor so they care protected from bullets. At they same time, give them a walking dog that can tell them which way to run.

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by vuapplepudding

<snip> Next thing you know they will add a "WHEEL TAX" on all electric & hybrid cars because they do not use any gas or very little. <snip>

Since fuel taxes are used for road construction and maintenance, some other tax will obviously be necessary if and when petroleum fuels are replaced by electric or something else, unless these new vehicles don't need roads.

Tom