Quiet Cars May Require Alerts for Pedestrians

In his column in the Detroit News (2/17) Tom Greenwood wrote, “Apparently automakers are facing an unusual problem: electric and hybrid cars that are too quiet.” Greenwood said, “Believe me when I say they were absolutely silent; my vision and hearing are fine, but I found myself looking over my shoulder to see if a vehicle was creeping up on me.” As a result, “the NFB is advocating for quiet vehicles to be equipped to emit a continuous sound and wants additional research on the problem.” Now, “the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Society of Automotive Engineers International are looking into ways to ‘bell the car,’ and Congress earlier charged the secretary of transportation with studying and implementing regulations for electric, hybrid and other silent engine vehicles to produce nonvisual alerts for pedestrians.”