Another dumb idea, pedestrian low speed noise makers.

[MacGreiner]

I'm not a fan, but I can see how if you are blind - this kind of thing will be a big deal once EVs reach tipping point and they become a felt presence on the road and in parking lots. I can't remember how many times even sighted folks have had no idea I was behind/beside them.

 

[StellarRat]

I'm not a fan, but I can see how if you are blind - this kind of thing will be a big deal once EVs reach tipping point and they become a felt presence on the road and in parking lots. I can't remember how many times even sighted folks have had no idea I was behind/beside them.

Exactly. I follow people through our parking lot all the time and they have no idea I'm back there. A moment of inattention or mistake and someone could get hurt badly. Some of you might be old enough to remember when big trucks and heavy equipment didn't have back up beepers. My Dad's work buddy on Alaska Pipeline was killed when a dump truck backed over him. He was really shaken up by that. We can put up with minor noise to keep people safe.

 

[StellarRat]

I bicycle or unicycle to work everyday. Sounds like my area is noisier than yours because I don't hear them.

I doubt I'd hear a Tesla in a big city. They don't make much more noise than a bike at lower speeds.

 

[StellarRat]

Please explain.

What's the difference between an owner disabling their own factory installed pedestrian horn and not wearing your seat belt? Or speeding? Or removing/gutting their catalytic converters? Or any one of another thousand of mods people do to their cars to defeat legally mandated restrictions or features?

There isn't any and they're all illegal in some way.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

We can put up with minor noise to keep people safe.

It's not the minor noise I'm concerned about. It's when you have thousands of cars all making noise at the same time. Then what good will it do?

 

[DrDabbles]

For everyone bitching, but not bothering to inform themselves, you may want to read the regulation and the latest additions. You can find them here. Regulations.gov

Let people open their eyes and look before crossing the street! Take some personal responsibility, and if they don't, then survival of the fittest and smartest!

You should go tell that to blind people. "Sorry about that disability you got there, but you deserve to be a shut in and not participate in society because survival of the fittest."

The noisemakers are being required by law. All new electric cars will have them soon, but hybrids on electric aren't required.

You haven't read the legislation. I can tell, because hybrids _do_ require these noise makers. When congress unanimously passed the legislation that led to these rules being researched and implemented, battery EVs basically didn't exist.

The tire noise at even slow speed, really anything over 10 mph, is loud enough for anyone but a deaf person to hear, and if you're deaf an additional beeper isn't going to help at all. I view this as a solution looking for a problem.

The requirement crosses over at 30kph, at which point the noise is no longer required.

 

[StellarRat]

It's not the minor noise I'm concerned about. It's when you have thousands of cars all making noise at the same time. Then what good will it do?

It is possible that it could be slightly drown out, but we already have thousands of ICE cars making noise and you can still tell when one is getting close. So, I think it will still be a useful feature.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

You should go tell that to blind people. "Sorry about that disability you got there, but you deserve to be a shut in and not participate in society because survival of the fittest."

What if we developed technology for the blind that used sensors to detect cars, movement, curbs, etc. Kind of like AP but for walking! If such a technology could be developed, then those who need it could be mobile and get around on their own without relying on noise from cars.

 

[DrDabbles]

What if we developed technology for the blind that used sensors to detect cars, movement, curbs, etc. Kind of like AP but for walking! If such a technology could be developed, then those who need it could be mobile and get around on their own without relying on noise from cars.

Sure, but here in reality during the year 2019, attaching a noise maker to a vehicle to alert distracted and blind people to the presence of a slow moving silent vehicle is the best bet.

 

[wenkan]

Blind people jaywalking is a really bad idea. They should cross the traffic with "pre-guaranteed right of the way" from a stop sign/traffic light/drivers' awareness in parking lot etc. I'm pretty sure they can figure out that.

 

[silentcorp]

As long as I can change the sound to one of the fart options I'm cool with this.

 

[PoitNarf]

Knowing Tesla I expect there to be several different sounds you can choose for this. My guess is that your options will be:

• Car sound from The Jetsons

• Tie Fighter
• Scanning sound the KITT makes
• Cylon Raider

 

[DrDabbles]

Blind people jaywalking is a really bad idea. They should cross the traffic with "pre-guaranteed right of the way" from a stop sign/traffic light/drivers' awareness in parking lot etc. I'm pretty sure they can figure out that.

Blind people crossing in intersections, not jaywalking, still can't hear a silent vehicle approach. It doesn't really matter where they're crossing, the fact that the car is silent when traveling slowly is the problem. But I guess shitting on blind people is in vogue now.

 

[HankLloydRight]

There isn't any and they're all illegal in some way.

Yes, exactly my point. They're all illegal in some way. But somehow disabling a pedestrian noisemaker will attract all the lawyers like flies to *sugar*.

Knowing Tesla I expect there to be several different sounds you can choose for this. My guess is that your options will be:

• Car sound from The Jetsons
• Scanning sound the KITT makes

They're already available on the EV-Horn! (see link in sig below).

 

[PoitNarf]

They're already available on the EV-Horn! (see link in sig below).

Not looking to do this to my own car, just hope that Tesla gives some interesting options for the pedestrian sound once this becomes required by law for new vehicles.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I realize that. It's just that everyone is going to go totally apeshit when Tesla does it, when I've been offering it all along (as well as any custom sound you want).

 

[JeffK]

A lot of people are citing blind people... but you should be citing people looking at their cell phones... might as well be blind. Combine that with headphones and they're asking for it.

 

[wenkan]

Blind people crossing in intersections, not jaywalking, still can't hear a silent vehicle approach. It doesn't really matter where they're crossing, the fact that the car is silent when traveling slowly is the problem. But I guess shitting on blind people is in vogue now.

If they cross at a stop sign/traffic light, we would stop to let them cross. No problem whether they can hear us or not.

 

[silentcorp]

How many blind people do you all almost hit here?

 

[wdolson]

For everyone bitching, but not bothering to inform themselves, you may want to read the regulation and the latest additions. You can find them here. Regulations.gov



You haven't read the legislation. I can tell, because hybrids _do_ require these noise makers. When congress unanimously passed the legislation that led to these rules being researched and implemented, battery EVs basically didn't exist.

I stand corrected, but the rules probably should apply to any vehicle making less than x dB of noise at low speed. Some ICE with quiet engines and low noise tires make less noise than my Model S at low speed.