Hybrid cars too quiet for blind pedestrians

roni · 04-05-2008

Be careful out there. This is something Kathy as commented on, and I found this article in the newspaper

Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars

By Martin Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 29, 2008

Are hybrid cars too quiet for their own good?

Jana Littrell certainly thinks so. Littrell, who is blind, was walking through a bank parking lot in the East Bay town of Albany a year ago when her foot was run over by a Toyota Prius backing out of a parking space. She wasn't injured and the driver apologized effusively, she recalled. But the experience shook her up.

"It has definitely put me more on my guard," said Littrell, who teaches Braille to newly blind adults. "But I don't know how much good that's going to do me if I can't hear the car coming."

And there are a lot more of the cars coming - a good thing in my opinion, but...be careful out there.

The rest of the story at

Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars - Los Angeles Times

Daddy B · 04-05-2008

Can't they be fitted with a beeping sound when reversing?!

Jacko · 04-05-2008

They DO beep inside the car when the car is put into reverse (perhaps an outside beep might help as well for those few times when one is backing up into a blind person

..just kidding here..)...there is also a HIGHLY recommended backup camera that helps overcome the problem the Prius has with its split back window...good points here...we should all ALWAYS be very careful when backing up to ensure there are no dangers...in the Prius, one should be even more careful...thus, the backup alarms in the car and the camera....

roni · 04-05-2008

Yes, but it is not just backing up that can cause a problem, according to the article.

The problem occurs when the cars are running at very low speeds on electric power, making about as much noise as a golf cart.

"There's this silent-but-deadly zone where we cannot hear these cars," said Bryan Bashin, a Sacramento management consultant. "We're not just worried about blind people. It's a hazard to pets, joggers, young children, cyclists, people who have their back turned. . . ."

catnhat · 04-05-2008

The videos take some time to go through..
I read about Ben a few weeks ago Thought I would share here..
An amazing story about a blind fellow who uses echo location...

Ben is the only person in the world who sees by using echo location..
As said in the Video Ben is remarkable so is his Mom

YouTube - Extraordinary People - The boy who sees without eyes [1/5]

YouTube - Blind Kid uses Echolocation to "See"

This is a documentary about a boy (Ben Underwood) who has taught himself to use echo location to navigate around the world. Ben Underwood is blind, but has managed to do some truly extraordinary feats.
The documentary has 5 parts......
[Part 1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLziFM... (10:51)
[Part 2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1QaCe... (10:37)
[Part 3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikpNZO... (10:20)
[Part 4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Px-aP... (10:34)
[Part 5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNkJ1d... (05:12

Manitou · 04-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

According to the article...The problem occurs when the cars are running at very low speeds on electric power, making about as much noise as a golf cart.

Haven't read any articles about any blind golfers being run over by a golf cart, and yes, there are some golfers that enjoy the game that just happen to be blind.

Jacko · 04-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

Yes, but it is not just backing up that can cause a problem, according to the article.

The problem occurs when the cars are running at very low speeds on electric power, making about as much noise as a golf cart.

"There's this silent-but-deadly zone where we cannot hear these cars," said Bryan Bashin, a Sacramento management consultant. "We're not just worried about blind people. It's a hazard to pets, joggers, young children, cyclists, people who have their back turned. . . ."

We could ask the automakers to put engine noise into some front speakers...

Seriously, there are some changes we will of course have to adapt to...Prius actually has a "B" section on their shifter...this is for "Break" mode...in a Hybrid, engine breaking is inefficient, and the little bit that occurs from its tiny little engine is translated into useful battery charging,....still, when one is driving in the mountains, and desiring to drive a little bit like a crazy race car driver (

), the absence of engine breaking feels odd and actually a little dangerous....thus...Prius's adaptation.

When I have that Grand Prix urge, I usually just ask Linda if I can drive her turbo-charged Mini.

(and my Prius will not run very long on just battery power...soon..plug in hybrids!

)

**Jesus** · 04-05-2008

But is not an Hybrids problem, is more specifically for Electric engines, No?
As a hybrid car can make noise when using the gas engine.

**TeeZet** · 04-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

Be careful out there.
...

Jacko · 04-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesus

But is not an Hybrids problem, is more specifically for Electric engines, No?
As a hybrid car can make noise when using the gas engine.

The Prius Hybrid runs on the electric motor only for a short while...especially if one is real light on the gas pedal!

MikenJulie · 04-05-2008

In traffic, say at a crosswalk, there may be one hybrid mixed in with 5 gas-powered cars, the blind person can zone in on the 5 gas powered cars, but any electric or minimal tire noise produced by the hybrid will be drowned out. They need some form of low speed whistle or some other form of extremely annoying background noise to make their presence known.

MikenJulie · 04-05-2008

You know, I hate these hybrids, mainly for this reason
The Honda Civic VX

Normal lookiing car, no insanely priced batteries to replace down the road, no "point and laugh" with those lame little useless 2-seater things

Best of all, 3.9L/100kms highway fuel rating, that works out to a hair over 72mpg Imperial, or 60mpg US gal. This was all 16 YEARS AGO. We should be seeing 100mpg cars by now but that's too easy, there must be some form of crippling cost for the comsumer after paying off one of these milk crates.

Jacko · 04-06-2008

Buy a Prius

Averages 45 mpg...

And actually, I think this hybrid looks pretty cool...

And the battery is warranted I believe for 8 years or 100,000 miles...higher I think in California....here is some more information from the web....

How long does the Prius battery last and what is the replacement cost?

The Prius battery (and the battery-power management system) has been designed to maximize battery life. In part this is done by keeping the battery at an optimum charge level - never fully draining it and never fully recharging it. As a result, the Prius battery leads a pretty easy life. We have lab data showing the equivalent of 180,000 miles with no deterioration and expect it to last the life of the vehicle. We also expect battery technology to continue to improve: the second-generation model battery is 15% smaller, 25% lighter, and has 35% more specific power than the first. This is true of price as well. Between the 2003 and 2004 models, service battery costs came down 36% and we expect them to continue to drop so that by the time replacements may be needed it won't be a much of an issue. Since the car went on sale in 2000, Toyota has not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

More from this site on other Prius issues: Toyota/Lexus/Scion Pressroom: Releases

04-05-2008	#1 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 27,000	Hybrid cars too quiet for blind pedestrians Be careful out there. This is something Kathy as commented on, and I found this article in the newspaper Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars By Martin Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 29, 2008 Are hybrid cars too quiet for their own good? Jana Littrell certainly thinks so. Littrell, who is blind, was walking through a bank parking lot in the East Bay town of Albany a year ago when her foot was run over by a Toyota Prius backing out of a parking space. She wasn't injured and the driver apologized effusively, she recalled. But the experience shook her up. "It has definitely put me more on my guard," said Littrell, who teaches Braille to newly blind adults. "But I don't know how much good that's going to do me if I can't hear the car coming." And there are a lot more of the cars coming - a good thing in my opinion, but...be careful out there. The rest of the story at Blind pedestrians may not hear hybrid cars - Los Angeles Times

04-05-2008	#3 (permalink)
Jacko añejo Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 18,357	They DO beep inside the car when the car is put into reverse (perhaps an outside beep might help as well for those few times when one is backing up into a blind person..just kidding here..)...there is also a HIGHLY recommended backup camera that helps overcome the problem the Prius has with its split back window...good points here...we should all ALWAYS be very careful when backing up to ensure there are no dangers...in the Prius, one should be even more careful...thus, the backup alarms in the car and the camera....

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04-05-2008	#2 (permalink)
Daddy B añejo Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you Posts: 9,300	Can't they be fitted with a beeping sound when reversing?!

04-05-2008	#4 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 27,000	Yes, but it is not just backing up that can cause a problem, according to the article. The problem occurs when the cars are running at very low speeds on electric power, making about as much noise as a golf cart. "There's this silent-but-deadly zone where we cannot hear these cars," said Bryan Bashin, a Sacramento management consultant. "We're not just worried about blind people. It's a hazard to pets, joggers, young children, cyclists, people who have their back turned. . . ."

04-05-2008	#5 (permalink)
catnhat life=playa Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 600	The videos take some time to go through.. I read about Ben a few weeks ago Thought I would share here.. An amazing story about a blind fellow who uses echo location... Ben is the only person in the world who sees by using echo location.. As said in the Video Ben is remarkable so is his Mom YouTube - Extraordinary People - The boy who sees without eyes [1/5] YouTube - Blind Kid uses Echolocation to "See" This is a documentary about a boy (Ben Underwood) who has taught himself to use echo location to navigate around the world. Ben Underwood is blind, but has managed to do some truly extraordinary feats. The documentary has 5 parts...... [Part 1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLziFM... (10:51) [Part 2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1QaCe... (10:37) [Part 3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikpNZO... (10:20) [Part 4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Px-aP... (10:34) [Part 5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNkJ1d... (05:12

04-05-2008	#8 (permalink)
Jesus Nutty Peep Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mexico City, Mexico Posts: 4,785	But is not an Hybrids problem, is more specifically for Electric engines, No? As a hybrid car can make noise when using the gas engine.

04-05-2008	#11 (permalink)
MikenJulie life=playa Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 781	In traffic, say at a crosswalk, there may be one hybrid mixed in with 5 gas-powered cars, the blind person can zone in on the 5 gas powered cars, but any electric or minimal tire noise produced by the hybrid will be drowned out. They need some form of low speed whistle or some other form of extremely annoying background noise to make their presence known.

04-05-2008	#12 (permalink)
MikenJulie life=playa Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 781	You know, I hate these hybrids, mainly for this reason The Honda Civic VX Normal lookiing car, no insanely priced batteries to replace down the road, no "point and laugh" with those lame little useless 2-seater things Best of all, 3.9L/100kms highway fuel rating, that works out to a hair over 72mpg Imperial, or 60mpg US gal. This was all 16 YEARS AGO. We should be seeing 100mpg cars by now but that's too easy, there must be some form of crippling cost for the comsumer after paying off one of these milk crates.

04-06-2008	#13 (permalink)
Jacko añejo Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 18,357	Buy a Prius Averages 45 mpg... And actually, I think this hybrid looks pretty cool... And the battery is warranted I believe for 8 years or 100,000 miles...higher I think in California....here is some more information from the web.... How long does the Prius battery last and what is the replacement cost? The Prius battery (and the battery-power management system) has been designed to maximize battery life. In part this is done by keeping the battery at an optimum charge level - never fully draining it and never fully recharging it. As a result, the Prius battery leads a pretty easy life. We have lab data showing the equivalent of 180,000 miles with no deterioration and expect it to last the life of the vehicle. We also expect battery technology to continue to improve: the second-generation model battery is 15% smaller, 25% lighter, and has 35% more specific power than the first. This is true of price as well. Between the 2003 and 2004 models, service battery costs came down 36% and we expect them to continue to drop so that by the time replacements may be needed it won't be a much of an issue. Since the car went on sale in 2000, Toyota has not replaced a single battery for wear and tear. More from this site on other Prius issues: Toyota/Lexus/Scion Pressroom: Releases

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