New NHTSA Quiet Car Standards Could Prevent 2,400 Pedestrian Injuries Each Year
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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on November 14th, 2016 that new standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141 will add a sound requirement for all newly manufactured hybrid and electric light-duty vehicles. This new standard will help pedestrians especially those who are blind or have low vision can hear the vehicles when they are traveling at low speeds. The NHTSA believes that adding sounds to the nearly silent vehicles might prevent more than 2,400 pedestrian and bicyclist injuries from traffic crashes when the hybrid fleet is equipped with the added feature of sound.
The NHTSA estimates that the odds of a collision between a hybrid vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist are about 19 percent higher than with a traditional, internal-combustion engine. Carmakers are not thrilled about the rule, according to Green Car Reports.com, because it will make hybrids too loud–maybe even louder than high-performance sports cars.
Hybrid electric vehicles that are powered by batteries can move silently through the streets, which poses a danger for pedestrians with low vision or blindness. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “We all depend on our senses to alert us to possible danger. With more, quieter hybrid and electrical cars on the road, the ability for all pedestrians to hear as well as see the cars becomes an important factor of reducing the risk of possible crashes and improving safety.”
The new rule applies to all hybrid and electric light vehicles that have four wheels and weigh 10,000 or less. They must make an audible noise when traveling either forward or in reverse at speeds up to 19 miles per hour. At higher speeds, other factors such as the sounds of the tires on the pavement, and wind sounds are enough to alert nearby pedestrians to the presence of the vehicles.
Eric Bridges, executive director of the American Council of the Blind said, “This new safety standard moving forward will not just make our streets safer for blind and visually impaired Americans, but also serve as an additional safety cue for all pedestrians who share the streets with hybrid or electric vehicles.” The audible warning will not only help the blind but it will also help other pedestrians and animals who rely on the sound and the vibration of an approaching, rumbling engine to alert them that a vehicle is approaching. It can be unnerving to be walking along and the only way that you knew a hybrid went by is because of the whoosh of wind and maybe the low humming sound that they make. Giving hybrids a sound as they move through the city streets and roadways will be a great safety feature.
Vehicle manufacturers have until September 1, 2019 to make sure that all new hybrids and electric vehicles are equipped with sound that meets the new safety standard.
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Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.