How about we use the numerous bluetooth security vulnerabilities to hack in a vibration response to proximity? (Or just reprogram the hundreds of thousands of recycled phones that have bluetooth capability and hand them out, if you're feeling squirmy about the hacking thing). Chris' point about bicycles is very well taken: At 20mph, tire noise from cars is more than sufficient. Bicycles travel at 15-20mph, and I don't hear any complaints about them being dangerous for the blind. I really get the sense that this is mostly about people who think they have an empathy for a handicapped group, but have no clue, because they really haven't done a mile in anybody's shoes. My brother is in a wheelchair, and while I'm always looking out for things that might get in his way, I've learned enough to know that you just don't know - ask. We need to get this back to science - what does the data actually show. But, of course, this is the California legislature. If it can't regulate gentle spanking or come up with a budget, it's got to do something. Idle hands, and all that.
Great analogy. Our issue is even more ridiculous because we are subjecting 100 percent of the population to a noise maker for a tiny percent of blind.
Well, a bill has been approved by the California Senate which has been sent to the Governor on whether to form a committee to study if a recommendation for quiet vehicles needing to be noisier should be considered for 2010. This is a far cry from "A bill has been passed in California" requiring quiet cars be nosier.
Silent Cars, Naked Roads Before anyone rushes to install sound generators on quiet cars, it might be useful to consider this: BBC NEWS | Magazine | Can 'naked roads' kill speed? Naked Roads : Brake - the Road Safety Charity Quieter cars may actually increase road safety by forcing greater levels of attention in both drivers and pedestrians. Someone should test this.
Well wha-da-ya-know? Sound of sports car engine 'arouses women' - Telegraph "The roar of a luxury car engine does cause a primeval physiological response." Ah ha! So that's why everyone is suddenly expressing so much concern for the safety of the blind! It's not the members of the visually impaired community that they're thinking about.....
I believe this is a learned response. Try it with small children or a jungle tribe member. Then compare the Tesla's sonics against them.
I'm going to apply this study to the saturation of Silent Electric vehicles. Bike Accidents Decline As Ridership Rises | Autopia from Wired.com The more silent cars there are on the road the more drives will be aware of them. Trasnportation went from clop clop clop to EVs before, it can do it again.
vfx, that is a good comparison. If people went from loud horses to silent EVs 100 years ago, why can't we go from somewhat noisy cars to quiet EVs again? Well, IMO, the issue is on a much grander scale now. Cars 100 years ago weren't roaming the streets in the vast numbers they do today. Also, we live in a much more sensitive society (read: lawsuits) making it more difficult to just push issues aside. Unfortunately, I think the government might get involved in this, and complicate things.
Why put it on the vehicles when it's probably cheaper to have it adapted to the streets? Just have it implemented into new streetlights. I also like the idea of implementing it into the cell phone.
GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site Blog Archive The Sound of the Chevy Volt Oh good grief. And I thought my UFO reference was daft enough.... http://www.mediacollege.com/downloads/sound-effects/star-trek/tos/tos-transporter.wav http://www.mediacollege.com/downloads/sound-effects/star-trek/tos/tos-turboliftdoor.wav But at least their pedestrian warning sound seems to be under driver control: http://www.mediacollege.com/downloads/sound-effects/star-trek/tos/tos-photon-torpedo-1.wav :wink:
Well it looks like they haven't forgetton everything about the EV-1. I read once that the EV-1 made a gentle yet perfectly audible "bonk" sound when you flicked the high beams, and that this was great for letting pedestrians know that you're there in parking lot situations. Glad to see this is something of a carry-over to the Volt. I'm all for customizable sounds, just as long as the defaults are reasonable. Btw, phasers should be enough for pedestrians. Save the photon torpedoes for the SUVs.
Noise level testing I assume. Seems like an audio data logger hooked to microphones in a human head simulator. Either that or some robots took VP11 out for a joy ride!