While the law passed in California's legislature doesn't actually prescribe the noise-makers for hybrids yet, it's expected that the committee will be looking for ways to add noisiness to hybrid and electric vehicles, reports the AP. Aside from developing some proprietary technology, however, the already-developed and tested systems available from Lotus Engineering and Eberspacher GmbH appear to be the best solutions on the market.
Lotus' Safe & Sound technology uses a combination of speakers, microphones and advanced processing to deliver a quiet cabin ride while also ensuring the people outside the car can hear it coming by simulating a brawnier combustion engine's sound. The Eberspacher system is a great deal simpler than the Lotus unit, but features the same basic technology, plus an in-exhaust speaker that can actually be used to silence the car almost entirely, in addition to modulating the exhaust note to make it more noticeable or more pleasing, including tuning a hybrid to sound like a V8.
Not everything is in the clear for the measure, however. The governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, still has to sign the bill, and though there are 300,000 of the cars in the state and it's a public safety issue, he has yet to comment on his stance.
Reader Comments
Fri Aug 22 2008 10:44 AM
Titanosaurus says
"and especially the blind - who can’t hear the cars approaching"
???
Fri Aug 22 2008 10:55 AM
Nelson says
Think it through, and it makes abundant sense. The blind have only their hearing to rely on, so when pedestrians, and especially blind ones, can't hear the cars coming, it's a safety concern.
Fri Aug 22 2008 11:00 AM
justin says
Im with nelson... I can see how titanosarus can make that mistake though, it is an confusing sentence
Fri Aug 22 2008 11:16 AM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says
Having a member of my family who is blind cars that make no noise are of a concern also believe it or not emergency vehicles with their sirens on are also hard to locate audibly from which direction they are coming.
Next to time you hear a siren (and your not driving) close your eyes and see if you can guess its direction. The UK for instance combines white noise with the siren and its incredibly easy to locate them audibly. The ice cream truck that frequents my neighbor hood here in the U.S. uses the same technology and I've yet to see a kid on my street miss the direction its coming from.
If your not sure what white noise is turn your tv on and disconnect the cable/antenna. Its that niose the snow makes that now occupys your tv screen. When using it in the above application you have its volume rise and fall and its extremely easy to locate using just your ears. Just ask a bat!!!!
Fri Aug 22 2008 11:20 AM
admin says
Alister - can you elaborate on the white noise aspect? How does it make it easier to determine the direction of the siren?
Fri Aug 22 2008 11:39 AM
Laz says
Why isn't there any alerts set at intersections that will go off via RFID that a blind person would carry? This will help the blind with dangers while standing on a curb or crossing the street...
Fri Aug 22 2008 12:01 PM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says
I cant seem to find an article on why it works but here is a link of two Standford students working on the problem. Email them and maybe give their idea some exposure on your website.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/tag/blind-electric-car/
As for my own experience with the neighborhood ice cream truck. I find that my brain tunes out the music and focuses on the underlying sounds of the white noise and the direction it is coming from.
Fri Aug 22 2008 12:44 PM
Gus says
I've read about the white noise thing as well. Wish they would use it here.
Anyway, I hope they don't add noise to quiet cars, or at least not above 5-10mph.
There is so much noise from cars and bikes today, I can only imagine how nice some places would be to live if there were no traffic noise.
Fri Aug 22 2008 2:51 PM
JSH says
There is absolutely no reason to add noise to cars. I have a Prius and I can hear my wife driving up behind me in electric mode. You hear the tire noise and a electric whine from the motor. When traveling at speed the noise from air turbulence is greater than the exhaust.
We need to find ways to remove noise pollution from our cities, not add to it.
Fri Aug 22 2008 3:54 PM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says
JSH- Short of calling you ignorant I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and that you have not thought through the problem
Imagine being blind and walking through a parking lot. If you approach a conventional parked car with its engine running the blind person can assume it may be about to pull out. If how ever that car were a hybrid or electric car a blind person is not given that chance to assume a near by car is about to move and possibly hit them.
Watch the following video and educate yourself.
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/04/that-blissfully.html
Fri Aug 22 2008 4:33 PM
SteveSteve says
True Story: I was in London picking my cousins up from their Spanish school in portabella road, it was a Friday so the market was on and I was in an RX400h.
I was creping along on elec because I'm doing must be about 10mph because it's so busy with the market on and a man steps back not hearing the car and gets whacked in the back of the head with the wing mirror.
It was hilarious. The guy was fine and conceded it was his own fault.
Fri Aug 22 2008 5:09 PM
JSH says
I can't imagine being blind and walking through a parking lot. Why would I walk through a parking lot unless I was coming from a car. If I was coming from a car I would have a sighted person to guide me. A blind person on their own sticks to defined walkways that they are familiar with.
In any vehicle it is the driver's responsibility to be sure that their path is clear before pulling out of a parking spot. You are much more likely to hit a child backing out of a parking spot than a blind person. Both are tragic and the fault of the driver.
The answer isn't beepers on cars it is responsible and proficient drivers.
Fri Aug 22 2008 6:16 PM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says
JSH- so with that logic can we assume you ignore all traffics signs, do not wear a seat belt, have disconnected your cars airbags, and drive at night with no head lights. That way by ignoring the safety features/aids put there by government essentially, you take all responsibiltiy for your actions.
Ultimatley there needs to be some sort of account/action to keep people safe. Although if you really wanted to prevent any all auto accidents you could weld steel spikes to the steering wheel and front bumper. Thus ensuring you would drive slow and pedestrians would stay inside and have everything delivered.
I take it you live as a hermit in the back of beyond. I say this as bus stops are located next to side walks for ease of pasengers to enter and exit the bus. The other side of the side walk is located next to a parking lot where sighted people park their cars. The other side of the parking lot is a store where both the occupants of the bus and car are trying to get to. What do the sighted car and blind bus occupant have in common? They feel going to the store as an indepentdent act and they both get there on their own accord with a litle bit of help from safety measures put in place by government and people who care about their well being.
Fri Aug 22 2008 10:06 PM
Turkle says
Who would enforce that this device continues to work after the car was purchased by a callous consumer that does not give a shit about blind people? People will disable it if it is continuous and loud enough to be heard from the interior of the car.
Sat Aug 23 2008 5:29 PM
Rob says
Couldn't this be an active system that only turns on when an obstacle is detected or when going in reverse? I mean, the white noise generator could be paired with an inexpensive radar unit which would turn it on when something gets in the vehicle's path. Otherwise if this was on all the time, it could contribute to noise pollution, which nobody likes, except for maybe headphone manufacturers.
Sat Aug 23 2008 9:17 PM
JSH says
In you're example you are putting the responsibility for the situation on the blind pedestrian. In a parking lot all pedestrians have the right of way. It is the responsibility of drivers to be aware of their surroundings and avoid all pedestrians; blind, sighted, young old, etc. Why not put back-up beepers on ALL vehicles? After all, many cars are quiet enough that you can't here them idling on a busy street or parking lot.
I see this as a company trying to have the state government mandate a market for their product.
BTW, I live in Birmingham, AL. I'm not exactly "a hermit in the back of beyond"
Fri Aug 29 2008 4:27 PM
Bob Wilson says
The USA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a hearing June 23 on this subject and the submissions are available at www.regulations.gov - search NHTSA-2008-0108-0020, which includes the traffic accident analysis of Dr. Christopher Hogan. It turns out the Prius has the same pedestrian accident rate as ordinary cars; no blind has ever been killed by a Prius, yet, and; there are 5 blind out of 4,700 annual pedestrian deaths in the USA each year. There is no accident data supporting the claim that hybrid electrics need a noise maker to make them safer. They are already safe.
Adding a noise maker only ensures that someday a pedestrian may be killed hearing the HR 5734 legislated, faux noise maker. It won't save them since today's sound generating cars are already deadly enough. This only ensures the same fatality rate continues and no one is any safer.
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