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2010 Lexus HS 250h - Click above for high-res image gallery

Now that hybrid cars have taken the top sales spots in Japan for the last few months, that country's Transport Ministry is reportedly launching an investigation to determine whether it's wise to require hybrid automobiles to emit an artificial sound when operating with the internal combustion engine switched off. The thinking is that hybrids may be more dangerous to the blind due to their quiet operation under electric power.

According to an unnamed official, the government's 13-member panel - consisting of a diverse group of scholars, vision-impaired groups, consumers, police and automobile industry officials - "decided to consider introducing a sound-making function" on all hybrids at its first meeting on Thursday, July 2. The panel hasn't yet decided what sound hybrids should make. We'll cast our unofficial vote in the direction of cowbells.

The issue is well-known in America, where the government has launched Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Acts in each of the last two years to study the supposed problem. Naturally, there is some opposition to artificial noise generators on hybrids. "On the other hand, we should pay attention to residents (along roads) as hybrids are excellent in reducing noise," added the Transport Ministry official.


Gallery: 2010 Lexus HS250h


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: AFP via Google]

REPORT: Japan could require hybrids to emit sound originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hybridhybrid carhybrid carshybrid noisehybrid noise issuehybrid soundHybridCarHybridCarsHybridNoiseHybridNoiseIssuehybridsHybridSoundquiet hybridquiet hybridsQuietHybridQuietHybridssilent carSilentCarSat, 04 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act introduced to protect the blind from quiet cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/23/pedestrian-safety-enhancement-act-introduced-to-protect-the-blin/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/23/pedestrian-safety-enhancement-act-introduced-to-protect-the-blin/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/23/pedestrian-safety-enhancement-act-introduced-to-protect-the-blin/#commentsFiled under: , ,


2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for a high-res image gallery

According to the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, just introduced by U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), "New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other."

For this reason, the aforementioned bipartisan bill would require that the government "conduct a study on how to protect the blind and others from being injured or killed by vehicles using hybrid, electric, and other silent engine technologies." Companies like Lotus Engineering and Harmon International are already one step ahead of this legislation with products intended to add some extra sound to silent vehicles.

Interestingly, it was just over a year ago that the last study into the dangers of hybrid and electric vehicles was started as directed by the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, leaving us to wonder what progress, if any, has been made on the issue over the last year.


Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius - First Drive

Continue reading Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act introduced to protect the blind from quiet cars

Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act introduced to protect the blind from quiet cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blind carsBlindCarsnational federation for the blindNationalFederationForTheBlindpedestrian safetypedestrian safety enhancement actPedestrianSafetyPedestrianSafetyEnhancementActquiet carquiet carsquiet hybridsQuietCarQuietCarsQuietHybridssilent carsilent carssilent hybridsSilentCarSilentCarsSilentHybridsThu, 23 Apr 2009 10:27:00 EST