Toyota's Solution to Pedestrian Collision Prevention

If only Toyota didn't put so much effort into eliminating all the noises the early pre production prototypes made.
When they were testing the drive line in the early days they could only get on the test track at night. Toyota had dorms in its main testing facility and the testing of Prius was secret even withing Toyota. The moaning and wailing noises from the test track at night made people thing the facility was haunted, as people couldn't hear engine noises they didn't know the test track was being used and no Toyota had ever made such a noise. A lot of effort went into eliminating that and other noises.

 

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Very interesting.

 

Yah, I know... I made a sarcastic and somewhat inappropriate comment because I realized I wasn't in Fred's and decided to delete it.

 

Noise is an indicator of friction, waste and inefficiency- the Detroit design process where oil is substituted for knowledge. Enter Prius, where Toyota engineers focused on detail, including emissions and quiet.

A solution is for other cars and trucks to be more efficient and quiet so that pedestrians realize most vehicles are quiet and listen for the sound of rolling tires on pavement.

 

You have no doubt noticed I never let that stop me.

 

Profound too

 

They may not make them for the Prius yet, but I am planning to get a beeping backup light. We have a lot of small kids on our block, and maybe it will get their attention.

My son-in-law was driving the Prius and was stopped at a light. A couple walked in front on the car and the guy commented that "Look at this guy, he thinks he saving fuel by turning off his engine at stop lights". LOL

 

Here is an engineer's solution:

 

I'm surprised how few people realize I'm behind them in parking lots. They walk right out in front of me without looking. Many times they never realize I've been there. To honk would be rude so I creep along. The ICE never comes on and sometimes they just stop in the lane and chat. Has anyone else found to be true?

 

Not Toyota's solution, but another one...with potential.

Vibering concept protects blind from those silent killers called hybrids - Autoblog

 

You can make a car make all the noise you want, it is worth remembering the driver needs to take all due care regardless of how GM th... oops I mean rattly their car is.

 

This is stupid. We're becoming a world filled with idiots. It's time to evolve, people. Nuff said.

 

+1

That scratchy grumbling noise in the video is just dumb and makes the car sound like a clunker piece of garbage. At least play some music or something like that.

Besides, how would you ever hear if the car was making a noise out of the ordinary (squeaky brakes?) if you were required to have that noisemaker going all the time?