Syracuse, N.Y. — The hybrid has quickly become a staple in American garages.
From 2004 to 2009, car dealers sold over 1.5 million half gas, half battery-powered vehicles, and it hasn’t been solely because of the high MPGs or Earth-saving low emmissions.
In fact, the appeal for many hybrid owners was it’s quiet nature–keep it under 15 MPH and the cars are virtually silent.
But what began as an interesting parallel to science fiction hover crafts has quickly turned into a safety risk for pedestrians, especially the legally blind.
“I know that it was originally considered a plus when they came out, but for people with visual impairments, it’s not,” said Adele DelSavio, a program director at Aurora of Central New York, an agency that supports blind community members. “People with visual impairments rely on the sounds of the cars to know when a car is coming.”
Hazardous Hybrids from Newhouse BDJ on Vimeo
Donna Reese is also on staff at Aurora, and became legally-blind within the last few years.
“It’s scary to think that I could be crossing the street and a car could be approaching and I don’t know it,” said Reese.
Hybrids Involved in Higher Rates of Pedestrian Accidents
In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report that found from 2000 to 2009, hybrid vehicles were involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists at a higher rate than any gas-powered engine cars.
- Of 8,387 hybrid vehicle accidents, nearly a full percent involved pedestrians or bicyclists
- Of 559,703 internal combustion engine vehicle accidents, just over half a percent involved pedestrians or bicyclists
Legislation Pushes Carmakers to Take Action
While opponents argue that there still isn’t necessary evidence to force automakers to make their hybrids louder, legislation appears imminent.
Section 109 of the Motor Safety Act of 2010 is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and many manufacturers are not waiting for the results.
Nissan’s fully-electric 2011 Leaf, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and, most recently, the 2011 Kia Optima have all been announced as having similar pedestrian warning signals when each car travels under a certain speed.
Leave a Reply