GasBuddy News Article

votes

Silent, Yes — But Deadly?

MSN autos -- Hybrids and electric cars are increasingly being called silent road hazards. So what should they sound like?

Read the Full Article

Submitted Mar 13, 2010 By: Kamakani

Back To News

Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics	Add to favorite topics Post New Topic

Author	Topic: Silent, Yes — But Deadly?	Post a Reply Back to Topics

REPLIES (newest first)

granitestater Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:3,898 Points:599,900 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Mar 15, 2010 12:36:55 AM Ignore granitestater Report Abuse I'm for one of those whistles used for deer. Except low pitch for people.
chemist74 Champion Author Cleveland Posts:9,658 Points:1,649,910 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Mar 14, 2010 1:35:15 PM Ignore chemist74 Report Abuse The pedestrians and cyclists don't have a legitimate argument since they should be watching where they are going when they are in the street. Only the blind have a legitimate concern. If a noise is added for the blind, what do we do for someone who is blind and hard of hearing? There is a limit to how much we should change things to aid the handicapped.
Bussman Champion Author Dallas Posts:1,627 Points:489,405 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Mar 14, 2010 10:25:07 AM Ignore Bussman Report Abuse MikLamb, you've got my vote for the comment of the day. I'm laughing my head off.
Amplion Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,330 Points:854,180 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 14, 2010 5:38:52 AM Ignore Amplion Report Abuse If you have a teenager in the car, you should be able to hear the radio !!!!
MikLamb Champion Author Texas Posts:2,868 Points:1,163,540 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: Mar 14, 2010 1:27:20 AM Ignore MikLamb Report Abuse Just put cards in their spokes.
kkimes Sophomore Author Illinois Posts:225 Points:651,660 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 14, 2010 1:05:44 AM Ignore kkimes Report Abuse "To the person that said "just open your eyes", the danger is for blind people. They can't hear them coming." Blind people definitely should not be walking down the middle of the road. Even with a Harley coming, I doubt if they would know which way to run. Probably run right in front of a regular gasoline engine car that didn't make enough noise.
CiVX Champion Author Oakland Posts:2,909 Points:494,185 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Mar 14, 2010 12:35:31 AM Ignore CiVX Report Abuse Like a symphony!
alterman156 Champion Author New York Posts:2,300 Points:544,275 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 10:59:35 PM Ignore alterman156 Report Abuse I can hear a Toyota hybrid coming quite easily. They produce a distinct whir though not all that loud. [Edited by: alterman156 at 3/13/2010 10:59:54 PM EST]
FuelOilOH All-Star Author Cleveland Posts:997 Points:544,785 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 9:12:44 PM Ignore FuelOilOH Report Abuse If they force automakers to add sound affects so others can "hear" them coming I hope they isolate the sound from the driver.
OHMS Champion Author Orange County Posts:7,794 Points:874,860 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:57:27 PM Ignore OHMS Report Abuse rocks in the hubcaps by the GM assembliers who put coke bottles in the GM frames. can you hear me now??
SpaceAce5 Veteran Author South Dakota Posts:300 Points:66,245 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 8:54:59 PM Ignore SpaceAce5 Report Abuse ooohh, i just had a silent but deadly. lol
ops3 Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:1,229 Points:737,025 Joined:Dec 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:54:17 PM Ignore ops3 Report Abuse This is just more Chicken Little BS by writers who need to get out in the real world and get a real job. If you are walking in a silent area and you are blind and need to hear a car, the tires of today will make sufficient noise to warn you!
FastAndy Champion Author Indianapolis Posts:4,203 Points:1,080,560 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 7:01:23 PM Ignore FastAndy Report Abuse Sounds like they just want to add to cities noise pollution.
PetroPedro All-Star Author Florida Posts:553 Points:118,560 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 5:27:25 PM Ignore PetroPedro Report Abuse KABOOOM
CarrottopNe Champion Author Lincoln Posts:1,025 Points:367,365 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 5:03:50 PM Ignore CarrottopNe Report Abuse Silence is a problem? When was the last time you avoided an accident by hearing? Unless you're walking in the street and not paying any attention and the driver of the silent car doesn't see you, then I can see where silence is a problem.
LanguageMan1 Champion Author Tampa Posts:5,748 Points:655,920 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 4:41:08 PM Ignore LanguageMan1 Report Abuse Silent and Deadly? YES! Especially at night! But they're not deadly to everyone or everything!
janctx Champion Author Lubbock Posts:2,514 Points:821,790 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 4:12:29 PM Ignore janctx Report Abuse whats wrong with eyes? well for starters if they dont turn on their lights at night and I have seen lots forget to put them on, one Might not be able to SEE them until to late
jaxtrax Champion Author Toronto Posts:1,108 Points:410,165 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 4:09:02 PM Ignore jaxtrax Report Abuse Mstearno -- the blind don't see.
Z51Corvette Champion Author Austin Posts:4,015 Points:775,345 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 4:07:59 PM Ignore Z51Corvette Report Abuse Adding noise to a "Silent Vehicl" isn't truly "Adding Noise" to the overall equation. Any NOISE ADDED is likely less than what an actual INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE would produce. So you are STILL reducing NOISE. NOISELESS Vheicles are DANGEROUS, because our SENSES were designed to respond to DANGER. There are many kind of noises. Some are good and some are bad, hearing a vehicle is a GOOD noise.
afghaned Champion Author Hamilton Posts:4,005 Points:273,175 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:46:46 PM Ignore afghaned Report Abuse Some have said they will add a sound so people will hear the vehicles coming. Interesting how we reduce one type of pollution but increase another that was naturally reduced.
Wizrd03 Champion Author Illinois Posts:3,033 Points:623,880 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:45:33 PM Ignore Wizrd03 Report Abuse LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES! Open header Harley would work
PathfinderSC Champion Author South Carolina Posts:4,375 Points:821,150 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:42:51 PM Ignore PathfinderSC Report Abuse Sound should be no problem to add.
mstearno Champion Author Dayton Posts:3,471 Points:760,885 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:37:58 PM Ignore mstearno Report Abuse We have eyes USE THEM
outlaw329 Champion Author Austin Posts:2,629 Points:428,100 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:36:20 PM Ignore outlaw329 Report Abuse Maybe add sn exhaust like on my Harley and then everyone will know they are around.
saleboss All-Star Author Phoenix Posts:587 Points:515,860 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:35:28 PM Ignore saleboss Report Abuse I like the idea of giving hybrids/EVs an alarm! You can't get out of the way, if you can't hear them coming!
ljmatney Champion Author Wichita Posts:4,024 Points:565,120 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:34:18 PM Ignore ljmatney Report Abuse To the person that said "just open your eyes", the danger is for blind people. They can't hear them coming.
fullauto All-Star Author Reading Posts:786 Points:567,395 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:33:33 PM Ignore fullauto Report Abuse silent but deadly? methane comes to mind, and all that produce it.
DarthDadJr Champion Author Virginia Posts:3,167 Points:608,240 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:33:31 PM Ignore DarthDadJr Report Abuse There was an article about this a while back in the Washington Post...people are too use to "hearing" the cars coming and not watching...we grownups need to learn that we REALLY need to look before crossing the road, like teach our children.
Jeff1944 All-Star Author South Dakota Posts:679 Points:175,475 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:30:36 PM Ignore Jeff1944 Report Abuse Gee, will someone want to reintroduce cow bells for cars?
diatzikis All-Star Author Raleigh Posts:718 Points:193,305 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:29:52 PM Ignore diatzikis Report Abuse Just open your eyes.
spunky4443 Champion Author Washington Posts:3,866 Points:1,019,910 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:28:51 PM Ignore spunky4443 Report Abuse The only ones that are Deadly now is Toyota.
MS_steve Sophomore Author Mississippi Posts:213 Points:426,460 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:27:17 PM Ignore MS_steve Report Abuse I suggest they make them sound like a couple of baseball cards flapping in the spokes of a bicycle... I thought that sounded pretty cool when I was 8.
DooDaa Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:4,239 Points:941,370 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:22:17 PM Ignore DooDaa Report Abuse can you hear it coming..
ChuckGVT Champion Author Vermont Posts:1,912 Points:695,845 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2010 3:20:23 PM Ignore ChuckGVT Report Abuse They sound like someone passing gas.