Silence is assent -- HR 5734

[Skwyre7]

Sent one too.

[longrider]

Done.

[Bill Merchant]

I wrote to my Representative, Darlene Hooley - OR-5, who sits on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, where HR 5734 is now. I've known Darlene for years and know that many of her friends drive Prius. I hope our effort pays off. This bill is stupid!

I'm going to present this information to the Portland HSD Meetup group this Saturday.

chogan2, can you publish your summary?

[bwilson4web]

Thanks Bill,

We also need letters to the Editor for our local news papers. Many times, an early draft intended for our Congress critters also works in the newspaper and educates their reporters.

There is nothing wrong with a human interest story about pedestrian safety as long as the facts and data are present: (1) today's cars are already deadly and the ones that kill 5,000 each year are being ignored by HR 5734, (2) sound is unreliable due to the mix of volumes and types even for non-hybrids, and (3) science based, not a mandated, ineffective solution, is needed.

Good luck!
Bob Wilson

[chogan2]

Originally Posted by Bill Merchant

I wrote to my Representative, Darlene Hooley - OR-5, who sits on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, where HR 5734 is now. I've known Darlene for years and know that many of her friends drive Prius. I hope our effort pays off. This bill is stupid!

I'm going to present this information to the Portland HSD Meetup group this Saturday.

chogan2, can you publish your summary?

Here it is:

 From 2002 to 2006, an average of five legally blind pedestrians per year were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the US (Table 1).

 No deaths of legally blind pedestrians involved a Prius (Table 3) or any other hybrid vehicle (Table 4).

 For all US pedestrian deaths (blind and sighted), 11 deaths involved a Prius (Table 3). (The Prius was singled out here because it is the only model with large production volume that was produced solely as a hybrid).

 For all US pedestrian deaths, a Prius was no more likely to be involved in a pedestrian death than the average passenger vehicle (Table 5). The Prius accounted for 0.05 percent of passenger vehicles involved in fatal pedestrian accidents, and accounted for 0.05 percent of US registered motor vehicles, on average, over this period.

 For both blind and sighted individuals, only about 10 percent of pedestrian deaths occurred as the result of being struck while walking in a crosswalk. The rest occurred in other locations. More than two-thirds of both blind and sighted pedestrians were listed as contributing in some way to the accident. Of those tested, slightly more than one-third of both blind and sighted pedestrian decedents tested positive for alcohol.

 Data on hospitalization rates for pedestrian accidents confirm the death rate data (Table 6). In a typical year, roughly 40 legally blind pedestrians are hospitalized as the result of a motor vehicle accident.

 Based on population estimates, the average a legally blind person is less likely to be killed or hospitalized as a result of being hit by a car than the average sighted individual. Legally blind individuals accounted for 0.11 percent of deaths and 0.15 percent of hospitalizations. But they account for 0.43 percent of the US population, or 0.23 percent of the US population under age 80.

[RichL]

Done... Thanks for the heads up!

[Brodie]

Sent!

[TonyPSchaefer]

Originally Posted by Bill Merchant

I'm going to present this information to the Portland HSD Meetup group this Saturday.

And I think I know a particularly large group of Prius owners in the Chicagoland area who will this weekend be receiving an email calling for action.

[penbed]

Done!!

[jyl]

This was my email to my Congressman:

"I oppose HR 3754: Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008.

This bill's finding and provisions are designed to compel hybrid gas-electric cars, like the Toyota Prius, to make noise at all times when driving. The claim is that quiet cars are "extremely hazardous" for blind pedestrians.

There is NO demonstrated basis for this requirement. Please consider that, based on a review of the Dept of Transportation's database:

 From 2002 to 2006, an average of five legally blind pedestrians per year were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the US.

 No deaths of legally blind pedestrians involved a Prius or any other hybrid vehicle.

 Only 11 US pedestrian deaths (all of sighted persons) involved a Prius.

 For all US pedestrian deaths, a Prius was no more likely to be involved in a pedestrian death than the average passenger vehicle. The Prius accounted for 0.05 percent of passenger vehicles involved in fatal pedestrian accidents, and accounted for 0.05 percent of US registered motor vehicles, on average, over this period.

 For both blind and sighted individuals, only about 10 percent of pedestrian deaths occurred as the result of being struck while walking in a crosswalk. The rest occurred in other locations. More than two-thirds of both blind and sighted pedestrians were listed as contributing in some way to the accident. Of those tested, slightly more than one-third of both blind and sighted pedestrian decedents tested positive for alcohol.

 Based on population estimates, the average a legally blind person is less likely to be killed or hospitalized as a result of being hit by a car than the average sighted individual. Legally blind individuals accounted for 0.11 percent of deaths and 0.15 percent of hospitalizations. But they account for 0.43 percent of the US population, or 0.23 percent of the US population under age 80.

The Prius is a very popular car, with over 590,000 sold to date in the US. This car is particularly popular in Oregon, among your constituents, Its high gas mileage helps Americans reduce oil consumption and pollution. Other models of hybrid vehicle are also becoming popular as Americans increasingly value energy conservation. 350,000 new hybrids of all makes are purchased each year in the US. Hybrid vehicles are more popular in Portland than in any other major city (based on new hybrid registrations per 1000 residents, as of Feb 2008 data).

Hybrid vehicle drivers do not wish to be forced to drive with unnecessary beepers, buzzers, simulated engine sounds, or other noisemakers on our cars.

I suggest that the scientists and safety experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are best-qualified to study hybrid vehicles and their associated pedestrian accident data, as part of NHTSA's normal work on motor vehicle and pedestrian safety. If actual evidence of unacceptable accident rates is determined, NHTSA is qualified and empowered to act as necessary.

I strongly object to Congress passing a bill which contains findings that are unsupported by NHTSA work or any other credible data, and prescribes action that is unnecessary and offensive to many of your constituents."