Hybrid cars dangerously quiet for pedestrians: US blind group

[Psycho4Bud]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - An association of blind Americans has warned that cars with hybrid engines using electricy and fuel are dangerously too quiet for pedestrians.

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) said hybrid cars pose a risk to the blind, children, the elderly, cyclists and distracted pedestrians.

The group said it conducted tests with blind people.

"We had the car drive by in different situations, to see wether or not people could hear it and use the sound of the car to safely cross the street, and they could not. The car was just silent," NFB spokesman John Pare told AFP.
Hybrid cars dangerously quiet for pedestrians: US blind group - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070214/ts_alt_afp/usautohybridpedestriansaccident_070214034245)

Global warming, clean up emissions.........now we need the noise?:wtf:

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

[Zimzum]

ROFL! next will be cars are too fast for insects to move out of the way in time. Maybe we can throw in a pack of playing cards with each hybrid car to stick in the wheel well for some sound effects.

[hisbiggness36]

LOL

[Psycho4Bud]

Get ready.......if all the special interest groups get together and have their way, this is your car of the future.

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

[PatrickHenry]

hhahahahahhahahaah

In other news, blind people can't see any thing, they might have some handicaps! Everyone panic!

[delusionsofNORMALity]

....this is your car of the future.:jointsmile:

sorry, manufacturing such a vehicle would seriously deplete our precious stone reserves. please find an alternative to rock and gravel products in your future submissions.






dept. of the inferior

[Psycho4Bud]

sorry, manufacturing such a vehicle would seriously deplete our precious stone reserves. please find an alternative to rock and gravel products in your future submissions.






dept. of the inferior

:S2: Classic!

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

[medicinal]

I'm with the playing card trick. or a little noisemaker bolted to the hood propelled by a hamster. Or maybe a crying baby stuck to the hood with velcro, hook up a little shock probe to his penis in case he quits crying, just juice him.~LOL~

[JackdaWack]

so what are they implying... we should make things noisy so blind people the like .00000000005 percent of the popultion can know wether or not something is commming, what about the millions of people who ride bikes, im sure they have a problem running into them aswell. Distracted pedestrians should not be in the study either, if your crossing a street and not paying attention u kinda deserve to be hit. also, cross walks are there for a reason, and cars are supposed to yeild to any pedestrian in a cross walk, so J walking is illegal for a reason. And drivers should be aware of the fact that people do walk in streets and its up to the drive to aviod accidents in that situatuion.

[harris7]

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) said hybrid cars pose a risk to the blind, children, the elderly, cyclists and distracted pedestrians.
:

well isn't this true of all cars?
i'm glad it took a study to realize this

[andruejaysin]

Perhaps someone should attempt to keep blind people out of traffic. I am a little worried electric cars may be to quiet, however. Shit, I grind the starter at least once a week on the car I have now. Hate to think how often it will happen with a hybrid.

[Delta9 UK]

Pedestrians always have right of way, as a car driver its your responsibility to not run them over, blind or otherwise ;).

Now Cyclists in city centres - shit that needs sorting out, I've been knocked over 3 times by bikes that just ignore red lights, ride on the pavement (sidewalk) and generally act like twats!

Ban Cyclists I say - far too quiet imho. Ah but what about the Chinese! Nooooooooo

[The Figment]

Pedestrians always have right of way, as a car driver its your responsibility to not run them over, blind or otherwise ;).

Now Cyclists in city centres - shit that needs sorting out, I've been knocked over 3 times by bikes that just ignore red lights, ride on the pavement (sidewalk) and generally act like twats!

Ban Cyclists I say - far too quiet imho. Ah but what about the Chinese! Nooooooooo
Hey!! Its just like those in cars that cant drive!! Riding on sidewalks is sometimes a life saving way to go,I mean there are sometimes that being on the sidewalk is the ONLY safe place for both bikes and peds.
And please don't lump all of us cyclists in a irresponceable (sp) group! we are only trying to stay alive out there,Yes there are hot-rodders and lousy riders as well as the same for drivers.but that does not mean that all peds are the bright blubs in the pack...like popping out from between parked cars while I'm coming down the street!
Sorry abuut the mild rant,No coffee yet and where I live BOTH Peds and Cyclists need Grenade launchers to protect ourselves from all the dumbass cagers!

[stinkyattic]

Naw... THIS is the transportation of the future.

[Cyclonite]

Loud pipes save lifes.
:Tomcat:

[JackdaWack]

Actually NO IT IS NOT SAFE TO RIDE A BIKE ON A SIDEWALK. They made roads for a reason, and sidewalks yeah pretty sure there for walking on, next time i see an biker decided to be a cunt, stick in the spokes, he'll stop next time. Honestly people need to wake the fuck up, i almost ran over a police officer and 4 kids on goosey night cause he had them all standing in the middle of the road. Gave me 4 tickets, for driving on a road... they were all dropped when i completed a complaint and told the mayor how he endagered the lives of 4 minors. this study just wasted thosands of dollars i could have pulled this from my ass and it would have made just as much sense. I dunno blind people sorry, get a dog.

[delusionsofNORMALity]

Naw... THIS is the transportation of the future.

how the hell am i gonna fit 200 lbs. of tools and 400 lbs. of materials on something like that?

[MastaChronic]

how the hell am i gonna fit 200 lbs. of tools and 400 lbs. of materials on something like that?

your supposed to put your luggage in your anus....it is the perfect trunk

[benagain]

That is a pretty lame argument, but I do agree with the story. I've almost hit a few peds when driving my wifes nana's hybrid. That thing makes less noice than the wind when driving around the neighborhood. People crossing the street don't notice it until you're right up on em.

[MastaChronic]

good for them, the average american needs a little danger in their lives.....keep those fuckers on their toes

[Purple Banana]

LMAO. I agree.

People need to WAKE UP AND LOOK AROUND. They need to realize they're in an area (ie a ROAD) that is specifically made for cars. If they look rather than simply listen (scrap that for blind people), it would eliminate a lot of accidents with pedestrians. Most people are inherently stupid.

If they don't like the way I'm driving, then stay off the damn sidewalk...

[stinkyattic]

how the hell am i gonna fit 200 lbs. of tools and 400 lbs. of materials on something like that?
oh come on it was a joke.
Those things are ridiculous.

[JackdaWack]

Naw... THIS is the transportation of the future.

Those are actually illegal is some major city's

[Purple Banana]

In Baltimore, security and police officers have them. Fucking hell, all they do is STAND there. Not mush use for catching criminals, they can jump over shit.

STOP WASTING OUR MONEY, BALTIMORE.

[A Scanner Darkly]

No blind person would ever get hit by my car, it's loud as hell.

[SwirlyMass]

In Baltimore, security and police officers have them. Fucking hell, all they do is STAND there. Not mush use for catching criminals, they can jump over shit.

STOP WASTING OUR MONEY, BALTIMORE.

OH NO THE POLICE ARE CHASING ME IN A VEHICLE WITH A TOP SPEED OF 25 MPH WHAT WILL I EVER DO?!?


I know! I'll step over this 1 foot curb, theres no way they'll catch me. Unless they find the handicap ramp....

Seriously, what if the dude hops a fence, are they gonna throw their scooters over and climb over after them or will they have to halt the pursuit because they cant leave them unattended...




So why not just equip hybrids with a constant blaring siren? That will solve the problem.



Blind people shouldn't be playing in the street, fuck!