Bloomberg: Nissan Adds ‘Beautiful’ Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safe

[a_gray_prius]

Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Toshiyuki Tabata spent 30 years as a Nissan Motor Co. engineer trying to make gasoline-powered cars quieter. Now he’s consulting music composers to make electric cars noisier -- and safer.

Nissan Adds ?Beautiful? Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safe - Bloomberg.com

[hill]

(sigh)
oh ... right ... a beautiful noise. Here's a 15 second youtube clip of the flying car from blade runner / 'beautiful' noise that the designers say will please folks:

YouTube - Spinner Blender Voodoo 01

YouTube - Spinner Blender Voodoo 01

Do YOU want a nice quiet car to make THIS sound, versus no sound? Must be something wrong with me.

.

[MUPAUL]

This may be less than elegant, but this whole notion that cars have to make more noise than is necessary, is just plain STUPID. I'd rather have the blind person have an ear plug that WE as taxpayers pay for, and each car have a signal to the ear plug that could give the blind person some info about the "silent" car that is approaching (maybe even direction and rate of speed). Maybe it's just where I live, but I haven't driven past a blind person crossing the street in many years.

If we can have some low level radio device and the blind person has an ear plug, that would be a better solution than having more and more noise and having to pay more for our cars to broadcast noise. Why do we have to produce noise, for a very few, only when a car is going very slow? Is this really going to save lives? Heck, maybe if all cars sounded like Harley Davison motorcycles, we would all be safer, blind or deaf or not. But would the trade off be worth it?

Or maybe we all need a thumping base blasting that rattles everyone within 20 feet so that we can all feel for vibrations if a car coming... This is just really STUPID, in my book. If I am being unsensative, let me know, but I think this is a bad policy.

Also, the "beautiful" sound is that of a hover craft. For the record, I wouldn't mind this sound, if I was in fact flying a hover craft.

[bwilson4web]

Thanks:

. . .
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also is analyzing data on crashes involving pedestrians and hybrid vehicles and plans to issue a final report by January, spokeswoman Elly Martin said. The regulator works with advocacy groups including the National Federation of the Blind, which urged makers of electric cars and hybrids to incorporate noise into their designs.
. . .

I met with my Congressman this morning and shared my concerns:

• "sound" vehicles kill 4,700 pedestrians every year and adding "sound" to hybrid perpetuates this death toll. Pedestrians are not going to be safer. I pointed out the SAAB, BMW and Toyota accident avoidance systems based upon radar and cameras that automatically apply the brakes to save everyone, pedestrians and cars.
• omission of hybrid electric owners, insurance companies and medical, public health professionals from consultation. These truth tellers are needed to help the other see the big picture, the reality of accident data and the brutal math of public safety.
• risk analysis - I'm looking forward to the NHTSA report since we're already looking at the FARS and tracking Prius-pedestrian accidents. With a minimum of 4 billion Prius miles since 2001, there is a statistically significant sample set that more than covers the 0.1 billion miles per fatality scale the NHTSA uses in their annual report to Congress.

I have no idea if I did any good. No one can tell the future but my cover letter ends with this:

. . . As written, H.R. 734 condemns the blind to the same traffic hell they live in today.

Bob Wilson

[Rybold]

As you all know I am against requiring hybrids to make noise. My main premise is that the driver should be looking where they are going and the driver is responsible for what they run into. That has nothing to do with making noise. Having said that, I will concede that Nissan has done a great job with the noise that the Infinitiy I35 sports cars and SUVs make. Some of you may not like it (I personally hate cars that make loud noises), but I do have to admit that the Infinity exhaust systems sound pretty cool.

[spinkao]

Originally Posted by hill

(sigh)
oh ... right ... a beautiful noise. Here's a 15 second youtube clip of the flying car from blade runner / 'beautiful' noise that the designers say will please folks:

YouTube - Spinner Blender Voodoo 01

Do YOU want a nice quiet car to make THIS sound, versus no sound? Must be something wrong with me.

.

Uh oh... If I were to buy a Leaf, this could be a deal breaker for me (if they *really* make it sound like *this*)

This whole thing reminds me of the mandatory flag-carrying runner going in front of each car that was required in early 1900... The whole idea is just silly. People should be taught to *look around* before crossing (and drivers to be a lot more careful when driving in crowded areas), that would be a whole lot better in my opinion.

[cdw]

Originally Posted by spinkao

The whole idea is just silly. People should be taught to *look around* before crossing (and drivers to be a lot more careful when driving in crowded areas), that would be a whole lot better in my opinion.

You want to tell blind people that they need to "*look around*"?

Originally Posted by Rybold

As you all know I am against requiring hybrids to make noise. My main premise is that the driver should be looking where they are going and the driver is responsible for what they run into. That has nothing to do with making noise.

Well, sure, driver responsibility is great. But surely you can understand a blind person wanting a little audible warning so that they don't have to rely on the driver as their primary option for not getting pancaked?

I'm not excited about electric cars making unnecessary "warning" noises, and am not convinced there aren't other alternatives to address the concerns of the National Federation for the Blind, but I'll give them a seat at the proverbial table and hear them out. Some of the stuff Bob W. points are worth considering IMO.

[spinkao]

Originally Posted by cdw

You want to tell blind people that they need to "*look around*"?

Well, sure, driver responsibility is great. But surely you can understand a blind person wanting a little audible warning so that they don't have to rely on the driver as their primary option for not getting pancaked?

I'm not excited about electric cars making unnecessary "warning" noises, and am not convinced there aren't other alternatives to address the concerns of the National Federation for the Blind, but I'll give them a seat at the proverbial table and hear them out. Some of the stuff Bob W. points are worth considering IMO.

Well, I was obviously talking about usual traffic situation and somewhat overlooked the fact that this whole thing mainly arose because of concerns regarding blind people (I did not read the opening posts of this thread until now, I only played that "beautiful" sound and was horrified by the prospect of a car emitting noise like *that* ). Yes, there is a point in that, I have to admit, so I am sorry, as my remark must have read somewhat silly in the whole context. So I agree that you have a point and apologize. Still, I am not really excited by the idea of EVs making silly artificial noises... Although I have to agree that there is a good reason for that.

[Rybold]

Originally Posted by cdw

Well, sure, driver responsibility is great. But surely you can understand a blind person wanting a little audible warning so that they don't have to rely on the driver as their primary option for not getting pancaked

You wouldn't be referring to obnoxious salesmen driving while talking on cell phones, would you?

What ever happened to guide dogs?

.

[Kablooie]

After much research here is an example of the beautiful sound they have developed.

Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket

Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket

" title="Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket" target="_blank">Priussound2.flv video by Kablooie - Photobucket