Hybrids - Silent Death on Wheels Update

"While we wait for the outcome of the various studies, recommendations and legislation we suggest people take care around pedestrian traffic, sighted or otherwise."

Quote from the article, above.

If people did this, there wouldn't be a need for any legislation.

In the early days of the automobile, there was a law that someone had to walk ahead of the vehicle with a lantern and warn everybody, so as not to startle the horses. Substitute the lantern for a person walking in front with a bell or boom box, and the unemployment problem would be solved.

Too quiet? Give me a break. My bicycle is even quieter than my Prius, and I never squash blind people with that. While on my bike one day, I was almost squashed by a Honda Civic, driven by a presumably sighted driver, who hadn't apparently read the above article about taking care.

 

We already have the documentary Who Killed The Electric Car? Now we'll have one called Who The Electric Car Killed.

I once took a blind church member home and he was delighted by sounds (or lack thereof) the Prius made. He said he hopes to get a hybrid when his wife is getting a new car.

 

I've never had problems with blind people, but I've had lots of near misses with sighted pedestrians stepping in front of me while I'm riding my bike. Either their head is in the clouds, they're talking on a cell phone, or they're just too clueless to realize that they have to look both ways before stepping off the curb.

Meanwhile, where are the statistics on accidents where cars hit blind people, broken down by hybrids vs. non-hybrids?

 

There is always some group happy to help the politicians avoid addressing the real problems of the world, and there is always a news media eager to report and promote anything posing as news. I do get tired of hearing of the ludicrous.

Just how many blind people have been run over by Prius drivers in 7 years? Has anyone on this forum ever run over a blind person? Just why should the vast majority of the planet be forced to accept something less than optimum, just because a statistically small group exists. Political correctness is perhaps getting a little rediculous. Though I am distressed that some people are sight-challenged, I also am aware that some people's hearing is less than perfect. Are we to be required to put flashing lights on our cars for them? Should air fresheners be outlawed from cars since I have trouble with my sense of smell. Where do we stop?

I believe we move forward as a society by striving for the best, not settling for mediocrity. Would any foot race be exciting if the leaders thought they should slow down since the others cannot keep up? Should Tiger Woods play less than his best because the other golfers feelings might be hurt if he beats them too badly? Should we lessen the quality of our work because our co-workers do less or perhaps because we feel underpaid or not appreciated. Just when and where does the rush to legislate mediocrity end? When will we have some leaders with any intestinal fortitude rather than spineless imposters.

I enjoy my quiet Prius and am not quite ready to happily put speakers and flashers on it. If you guys want to take the air fresheners out so I won't be offended, that will be ok though...... (tongue firmy in cheek).

 

I assume they are also going to outlaw trucks and SUVs, given how many more times likely they are to kill a pedestrian (blind or otherwise) they hit. Not to mention how many times more likely they are to kill anyone they hit.

This info is a bit out of date, I would love to find something similar that is more current. The part at the top is interesting, but the numbers at the bottom are pretty shocking.

http://bridger.us/2002/12/16/CrashTestingMINICooperVsFordF150/

Per million registered vehicles, here are how many drivers are killed by the following models (just a sample):
VW Jetta: 23
Honda Civic: 25
Honda Accord: 27
Toyota Camry: 29
Ford Windstar: 35
Ford Taurus: 39
Ford Expedition: 57
Chevy Suburban: 59
Toyota Tacoma: 59
Ford Explorer: 60
Chevy Tahoe: 74
Ford F-Series: 128

And here is how many drivers per million registered vehicles are killed in the following models (a similar sample):
Chrysler Town&Country: 31
Ford Windstar: 37
Toyota Camry: 41
Chevy Suburban: 46
Honda Accord: 54
Ford Expedition: 55
Chevy Tahoe: 68
Ford Taurus: 78
Honda Civic: 84
Toyota 4-Runner: 94
Dodge Stratus: 103
Ford F-Series: 110
Toyota Tacoma: 111
Chevy Cavalier: 143
Pontiac Sunfire: 158
Dodge Neon: 161

I find it interesting that Tahoe's kill more than 2.5X as many drivers as Camry's, and yet you are still 66% more likely to die driving a Tahoe. Its very interesting to me how many fewer people die driving minivans than anything else.

Sorry, got pretty OT there

Rob

 

Here is a better visualization of the same data, its from 1995-1999. Would love to find a similar study on more recent data!

Rob

Is Bigger Safer? It Ain't Necessarily So

 

And if people would just stop robbing banks, we could get rid of the silly law making bank robbing illegal.

 

Well since burning gasoline in our cars kills tens of thousands of people every year, and not one blind person has yet been killed by a "silent" car - does it seem like maybe our priorities are just a LITTLE screwed up?

Once we do this and ban gay marriages, then we'll all be safe and secure!

 

I made a similar post in another thread that we prius drivers must acknowledge that our cars are very silent.

since owning my prius for a little over a month, many situations have surfaced where pedestrians simply cannot hear the car, i've had to wait behind them for a few seconds until they are very startled that a car was behind them..............

we have to be aware of this, we have to be careful................

i fully understand this because my first introduction to the prius was when i almost had one back up on me in a parking lot, the car was silent, i was walking by the car when it suddenly backed up, not knowing i was behind.

it's just a prius rule of thumb - realize that when the engine is off, the car is completely silent, watch out!!!!

 

Instead of focusing on making hybrid cars more noticeable to blind people, we should be focusing on making blind people more noticeable to drivers. There should be laws in place requiring blind people to wear large reflective vests, a strobe light on their head :mod: and a continuous siren to let everyone know they are about to walk into a busy street. Then we wouldn't have any problems.

 

What about a radio transmitter in their canes that could warn drivers that a visually challenged person was near. Maybe the receiver could be installed in every GPS navigation device so they showed up on the navigation screen and alerted you.

I am half joking but now I am interested in a solution like this.