Hybrid Cars Too Quiet?

[Pangloss]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gsGpI3VcZk2quvxVBKkyZ3CVf7WgD8S1IEPG0

 

Apparently advocates for the blind are up in arms about hybrid cars being too quiet to hear.

 

I guess I can empathize, but I think reducing noise pollution has to be a good thing for everyone. Maybe we just need to apply a little technology to the problem.

 

(Hmm... would deaf people complain about invisible cars?)

[Klaynos]

I know that some electric van converters in the UK engineer in a noise so that people can hear them... But they are still not as load as internal combustion engines.

[DrDNA]

I heard about this on the radio in the truck yesterday and they (the omniscent "they") stated that they're probably going to put some type of minimal noise making device on the hybrids to alert the viusally impaired of their presence.

I vote for a "vroom...vroom...chock... bock.. bing...." sound.

 

One of those things snuck up on me while I was out tricking with the kids last halloween. It was right on me before I knew and it scared the heck out of me.

[Mr Skeptic]

People (even those that aren't blind) will frequently just listen for cars instead of looking. This works pretty well at city speeds with low traffic. It is also useful for bicycle riding. For a blind person, quiet cars must be terribly scary and dangerous. So I do think that the big heavy metal things should have some noise, even if it is only in a cone ahead of them.

[iNow]

Why don't we leave the cars as is and let natural selection take it's course. If you're too dumb to use more than one sense when looking out for oncoming cars, then you're too dumb.

[DrDNA]

Why don't we leave the cars as is and let natural selection take it's course. If you're too dumb to use more than one sense when looking out for oncoming cars, then you're too dumb.

 

Oh my.

It is an organization for the blind that is asking to do something about the quiteness of the hybrid vehicles.

Besides hearing, what sense do you suggest that the blind should use to detect the presence of motor vehicles ?

[Rocket Man]

taste of course!

 

i've seen a few of straight IC cars that simply don't make noise at the front, the loudest noise you can get from some cars is from the tyres.

 

i do agree that cars should have minimum noise standards, humans have primitive echo location that seems to work best with white noise, it would also help the blind simply get around the pavement

[insane_alien]

maybe a sort of proximity sensor? have the cars give off a shortish distance radio signal when moving that a detector(say in the blind guys cane) picks up and signals to the blind person perhaps by vibrating based on the proximity of the car.

[Dak]

or a doggy! they work.

 

if the cars going down an otherwize quiet street, it should be being on the look out for pedestrians anyway -- anything from kids to blind people to morons, that might walk out without looking. so, shouldn't they be able to see the guy with the stick and just stop or beep?

 

anyhoo, as Mr Skeptic said, blind people allready have to be cautious for bikes, which don't make a whole crap-load of noise.

[iNow]

Oh my.

It is an organization for the blind that is asking to do something about the quiteness of the hybrid vehicles.

Yes, I was admittedly having one of my more callous moments when I posted that. That's not one of my stronger convictions by any means, as even I would not be here were it not for technological and medical advances (due to my juvenile onset diabetes). I think I was a bit riled up after a discussion with some friends a few hours previous regarding some of the recent trends in our culture.

 

 

That said...

 

I think the cars being quiet is good for many reasons, and the cars themselves are clearly better for the environment.

 

What if, instead of engineering the cars to be "loud," we engineered them to be "smart?" I suggest we put increased sensing capability and logic into the cars themselves, then the car can avoid obstacles and people (child, blind, and otherwise), instead of people necessarily avoiding the car.

 

Sort of like the head's up displays already in nicer cars that have infrared for night time driving. Similar concept as I reference above (although much more primitive than what I'm trying to convey), and instead the car itself could do more of the decision making.

[DrDNA]

What if, instead of engineering the cars to be "loud," we engineered them to be "smart?" I suggest we put increased sensing capability and logic into the cars themselves, then the car can avoid obstacles and people (child, blind, and otherwise), instead of people necessarily avoiding the car.

 

Sort of like the head's up displays already in nicer cars that have infrared for night time driving. Similar concept as I reference above (although much more primitive than what I'm trying to convey), and instead the car itself could do more of the decision making.

 

 

I think that would fine, except of course until the technology inevitably fails or the driver makes a major screw up or goes on a rampage.....E.g., I can see someone acting in a dangerous manner with disregard for pedestrians and, then, when something goes wrong and someone gets killed or severly injured, many driver's/lawyers would claim: "it wasn't my/their fault, it was the car's fault".

[Geeman]

Perhaps this is one of those cases where we're not approaching the problem in a logical manner, noting the following reasons (among others):

 

(1) Stopping someone from stepping out in front of a moving vehicle is a much more straightforward proposition than stopping the vehicle after someone has stepped out in front it.

 

(2) Providing technology to mobile blind people would be less expensive (at least in a global sense) than putting it on cars.

 

(3) The key areas of interest are parking lots and other low-speed areas because hybrids use their gas engines on city streets and therefore sound pretty much like any other small-engine car (which are also very quiet, if you discount those goofy-sounding modified civics).

 

(4) As has already been pointed out, anything we put on cars will also have to be put on bicycles and other quiet, fast-moving objects.

 

(5) If you truly think about it objectively, wouldn't it be silly to outlaw quiet vehicles?

 

I don't know the solution, but with the wide array of available sensor technologies it certainly falls far below the level of rocket science ... this would be a great place for one of you entrepreneurs to step in and save the day ...

 

Regards,

Greg

[Sisyphus]

I think this is one occasion on which I would just ignore the blind lobby. I mean, come on. Maybe they should just stop jaywalking.

[Pangloss]

There's actually a system in most cities that triggers radar detectors and other devices with the system built into it (some car makers put it in the radio, I believe) to go off with a special signal whenever triggered. It was intended to be used for public safety events, but the only time I've ever seen it go off is in front of a fire or police station.

 

The best part is that the technology is dirt cheap to implement. It's basically just an open broadcast at a specific power and frequency setting. When the unit detects it at a certain power level, it goes off. So you could put the transmitted in ALL cars and add maybe a dollar to the cost of the car, and the users could front the cost of the receiver. It'd basically just be a pager-sized object that they'd clip to their belt.

[macman]

they shoul put cips in blind people that sens motion over10 mph ant gives a litel beep

[insane_alien]

they shoul put cips in blind people that sens motion over10 mph ant gives a litel beep

 

maybe they could also make a spell checker one as well.

 

i don't think people are going to appreciate chips inside them. the non invasive cane idea would be 1/cheaper 2/easier to implement and 3/ more selective.

[gcol]

Blind can't see 'em,

Deaf can't hear 'em,

Dumb can't shout to warn,

Halt and lame can't move fast enough.

And that, folks is just the drivers.

 

When an afflicted driver meets a kindred pedestrian, don't even waste time calling the ambulance.

 

The ghost of Woody Guthrie is prompting me to get out my ol' guitar and write a folksy protest song.

 

How about 'them mean old leccy car blues'.