Timing - "Bell the Hybrid" march kicks-off

[robbyr2]

Noise and air pollution are well-established health risks. So now we're going to make the world noisier and dirtier. I guess it makes more sense to cause more noise pollution than to understand the problem. If there is a problem, how about having all cars emit a signal that could be "heard" only by white canes and by bicycle and motorcycle helmets (or maybe require all pedestrians to wear helmets too!).

Hybrids and EVs aren't going away any more than horseless carriages did. We will ignore this law just like those pioneers did. I may not have disabled my backup beeps but I sure as heck am not going to listen to my car making Lotus race car sounds. Then I will really be dangerous, sadly, because of the expectations of the foot-bound.

But I do see it coming. More reason to buy the second Prius asap.

[bruceha_2000]

Originally Posted by robbyr2

I may not have disabled my backup beeps

Why not? You are aware that the reverse beep is pretty much inaudible outside the car, especially if the windows are up and the 'listener' is behind the car? It only tells the driver they have put the car in reverse.

[bruceha_2000]

Bob, how about a counter bill to decrease the noise made by ALL ICE based vehicles. The ICE in ALL vehicles should be nearly silent. Loud pipes do NOT save lives, the only time you hear those Harley's is when they are travelling away from you. And that loud exhaust overcomes all other noises, like the ones made by any car about to run over a blind person. If I can see well enough to drive, I sure as heck can see a Harley in front of me.

Any blind person can hear a Prius on the road unless it is sneaking up on them at extremely slow speed in a 'test'. Tires on the road make noise, and that noise will be MORE accessible to the blind person if there are not other noises around to mask it. And what happens to the poor blind person innundated with electronic 'approaching vehicle' noises all around them if the sensor and 'belll' is on them? It can't just be a single volume tone, the person would have NO idea how far away the car is, nor what direction it is travelling. It needs a doppler effect for the person to judge the location, speed and direction of travel of the potential danger.

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by bruceha_2000

Bob, how about a counter bill to decrease the noise made by ALL ICE based vehicles. The ICE in ALL vehicles should be nearly silent. . . .

What I'd like to see is collision avoidance systems with pedestrian detection as a standard piece of equipment in all hybrid cars. This will drive down the per-unit price and make them affordable. Then vendors can tailor them for advanced features like adaptive cruise control, lane following and even "automatic speed sign reading."

Taken to their logical conclusion, a collision avoidance system slowly morphs into the 'smart horse' of a century and a half ago who takes the owner home even if they fall asleep. ... I want my "Johnny Cab."


Or my hybrid automatic pilot:

<GRINS>

Bob Wilson

[robbyr2]

Why not? You are aware that the reverse beep is pretty much inaudible outside the car, especially if the windows are up and the 'listener' is behind the car? It only tells the driver they have put the car in reverse.

Just lazy on my part. I know it doesn't help anyone much... maybe it's intended to make sure I know the car is running! Maybe one day.

[Evilshin]

Originally Posted by bruceha_2000

Why not? You are aware that the reverse beep is pretty much inaudible outside the car, especially if the windows are up and the 'listener' is behind the car? It only tells the driver they have put the car in reverse.

Finding out how to turn off that annoying reverse beeping was one of my major motivating factors for joining priuschat....

[Kablooie]

I found an example of the audio modifications they want to put on new Prius's .

See it here:

Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket

Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket

[bwilson4web]

LOL!

I was expecting "O Fortuna" or "pocketa-pocketa-pocketa . . . " from James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." <grins>

It looks like the "House Energy and Commerce" committee has been tied up with other legislation including "American Clean Energy and Security Act" but H.R. 734 already has 134 co-sponsors (see below.) The Senate bill, S. 841, has ten co-sponsors. During the August break let your representative know your opinion about this legislation.

I expect we'll see a sudden burst of press releases and derivative 'news articles' when they plan to bring it up for committee review.

Bob Wilson

ps. House Cosponsors [as of 2009-08-01]
Del. Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU]
Del. Eleanor Norton [D-DC]
Rep. Neil Abercrombie [D-HI1]
Rep. Rodney Alexander [R-LA5]
Rep. Shelley Berkley [D-NV1]
Rep. Howard Berman [D-CA28]
Rep. Robert Berry [D-AR1]
Rep. Judy Biggert [R-IL13]
Rep. Gus Bilirakis [R-FL9]
Rep. Rob Bishop [R-UT1]
Rep. Sanford Bishop [D-GA2]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR3]
Rep. Roy Blunt [R-MO7]
Rep. John Boozman [R-AR3]
Rep. Leonard Boswell [D-IA3]
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]
Rep. Bruce Braley [D-IA1]
Rep. Corrine Brown [D-FL3]
Rep. Anh Cao [R-LA2]
Rep. Lois Capps [D-CA23]
Rep. Michael Capuano [D-MA8]
Rep. Russ Carnahan [D-MO3]
Rep. Christopher Carney [D-PA10]
Rep. André Carson [D-IN7]
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D-NY11]
Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN9]
Rep. Gerald Connolly [D-VA11]
Rep. John Conyers [D-MI14]
Rep. Jerry Costello [D-IL12]
Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT2]
Rep. Ander Crenshaw [R-FL4]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD7]
Rep. Kathleen Dahlkemper [D-PA3]
Rep. Danny Davis [D-IL7]
Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR4]
Rep. William Delahunt [D-MA10]
Rep. Michael Doyle [D-PA14]
Rep. Steve Driehaus [D-OH1]
Rep. Donna Edwards [D-MD4]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN5]
Rep. Brad Ellsworth [D-IN8]
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson [R-MO8]
Rep. Chaka Fattah [D-PA2]
Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA51]
Rep. Bill Foster [D-IL14]
Rep. Al Green [D-TX9]
Rep. Raymond Green [D-TX29]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ7]
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez [D-IL4]
Rep. Phil Hare [D-IL17]
Rep. Jane Harman [D-CA36]
Rep. Alcee Hastings [D-FL23]
Rep. Martin Heinrich [D-NM1]
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin [D-SD]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY22]
Rep. Mazie Hirono [D-HI2]
Rep. Tim Holden [D-PA17]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D-IL2]
Rep. Henry Johnson [D-GA4]
Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC3]
Rep. Paul Kanjorski [D-PA11]
Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH9]
Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D-RI1]
Rep. Steve King [R-IA5]
Rep. Larry Kissell [D-NC8]
Rep. Thomas Latham [R-IA4]
Rep. Steven LaTourette [R-OH14]
Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA9]
Rep. John Lewis [D-GA5]
Rep. Daniel Lipinski [D-IL3]
Rep. David Loebsack [D-IA2]
Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY18]
Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY14]
Rep. Donald Manzullo [R-IL16]
Rep. Edward Markey [D-MA7]
Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA5]
Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN4]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA7]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA3]
Rep. Mike McIntyre [D-NC7]
Rep. Charles Melancon [D-LA3]
Rep. Michael Michaud [D-ME2]
Rep. Walter Minnick [D-ID1]
Rep. Alan Mollohan [D-WV1]
Rep. Gwen Moore [D-WI4]
Rep. James Moran [D-VA8]
Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D-NY8]
Rep. Richard Neal [D-MA2]
Rep. Randy Neugebauer [R-TX19]
Rep. James Oberstar [D-MN8]
Rep. Edward Pastor [D-AZ4]
Rep. Donald Payne [D-NJ10]
Rep. Collin Peterson [D-MN7]
Rep. Thomas Petri [R-WI6]
Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME1]
Rep. Todd Platts [R-PA19]
Rep. Earl Pomeroy [D-ND]
Rep. David Price [D-NC4]
Rep. Nick Rahall [D-WV3]
Rep. Charles Rangel [D-NY15]
Rep. Phil Roe [R-TN1]
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher [R-CA46]
Rep. Peter Roskam [R-IL6]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL18]
Rep. Steven Rothman [D-NJ9]
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger [D-MD2]
Rep. Timothy Ryan [D-OH17]
Rep. Linda Sánchez [D-CA39]
Rep. John Sarbanes [D-MD3]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D-IL9]
Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Rep. José Serrano [D-NY16]
Rep. Peter Sessions [R-TX32]
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter [D-NH1]
Rep. Albio Sires [D-NJ13]
Rep. Fortney Stark [D-CA13]
Rep. Clifford Stearns [R-FL6]
Rep. Ellen Tauscher [D-CA10]
Rep. Gene Taylor [D-MS4]
Rep. Lee Terry [R-NE2]
Rep. Glenn Thompson [R-PA5]
Rep. John Tierney [D-MA6]
Rep. Dina Titus [D-NV3]
Rep. Christopher Van Hollen [D-MD8]
Rep. Timothy Walz [D-MN1]
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D-FL20]
Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA35]
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]
Rep. Robert Wexler [D-FL19]
Rep. Charles Wilson [D-OH6]
Rep. Rob Wittman [R-VA1]
Rep. David Wu [D-OR1]
Rep. Donald Young [R-AK]
Res.Com. Pedro Pierluisi [D-PR]