Electric vehicles to get sounds with quiet car rule
By Andrew Hulse
Have you ever been walking through a parking lot, minding your own business? When all of a sudden, there is a very very slight hum just behind you and you find out an electric car or hybrid has been on your heels the whole time?
Well, that experience is about to go away. According to Autoblog, the United States has finally finalized so-called “quiet car rules”. The rule states that any quiet car must emit some kind of sound at speeds of 18.6 miles per hour or lower. This regulation was demanded by Congress all the way back in 2010 but has been delayed multiple times.
The rule is aimed at pedestrian safety, I think I can safely say that all of us have been surprised by one of those darn sneaky Priuses (Pruii, Pruis, I don’t know) in a parking lot at some point. This rule is truly aimed at protecting the blind, elderly and children who may not be able to see a vehicle coming.
The rule says that by 2020, sounds are added to all of the vehicles designated as quiet. 50% of those cars must be equipped with external noises by 2019.
For some reason, the quiet car rule is not without controversy.
The quiet car rule has been hotly debated since first being introduced by the United States Congress. It has been stopped and reviewed by the Trump admin when all regulations on automakers were halted for potential rollback.
Nissan argued the proposal was set to too high of a speed and the sound should only be needed up to 12.4 miles per hour. And, finally, the NHSTA has estimated that developing the waterproof external speaker will cost automakers $40 million annually.
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However, the NHSTA also estimates there will be 2400 fewer injuries annually. The benefits should save close to $250 million in injury costs. To me, this rule really seems like a no-brainer. Passenger safety has been high up on automakers feature lists. Pedestrian safety is just starting to come onto the automaker’s radar.
Cars are much safer to get hit by now. Front end design has to be optimized for pedestrian safety. Why not focus some resources on avoiding the collisions in the first place.