Every kid is taught that crossing a street safely begins with “Stop. Look. Listen.” I'm currently going through this teaching with my two children, ages 4 and 6. Safely crossing a street is a milestone for every child and parent - and something most of us take for granted.
But, what if one of the two senses involved - hearing - was removed? And what if you already lacked the other - sight? Without the familiar sound of traffic, the simple task of crossing a street would be daunting, if not impossible. This is precisely why Chevrolet, GM, and the National Federation of the Blind are cooperating to identify a safe level of sound to alert the blind and other pedestrians to the presence of low-speed, silent-running electric and hybrid vehicles.
Vehicle sound is not noise; it’s an audio cue and information – for everyone. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we constantly rely on our sense of hearing as we go about our daily lives.
The blind must listen for traffic to determine when it is safe to enter an intersection, to safely navigate a parking lot, or to determine whether a driveway is clear. Now, think about the hundreds of thousands of people that head to the streets daily on foot or on a bicycle as a form of transportation, to play, or to exercise. They also rely on their hearing to know when automobiles are present.
A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demonstrated that the silent operation of low-speed hybrid vehicles is an issue for all pedestrians, not just the blind. In certain situations, electric or hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in collisions with pedestrians.
Our background in the area of pedestrian alerts dates to our work on the EV1 (a vehicle I’m proud to say I worked on). We are listening to the people who will interact with these vehicles in everyday life. A few weeks ago, several NFB members recently experienced a demonstration of the pedestrian warning alert on a pre-production Chevy Volt at our Milford Proving Grounds. They evaluated the alert from the front, sides, and rear of the car.
We will continue working with the NFB and other groups to gather the critical feedback we need to help create an industry standard so that the sound emitted from EVs is recognizable as the sound of an automobile and detectable by everyone.
written by Alexander, December 24, 2009
At lower speeds, I recommend the sound that the Jetson's family jet made. It's a constant, low-profile way of saying 'I am here', which most cars today are already doing, but with their engine instead. It could increase in pitch as it speeds up, lower in pitch as it slows down, and drop to a distinct pitch or do something else entirely when stopped, but still on.
Although, be mindful of the nearby wildlife when you're emitting very low sounds, constantly. It messes with their heads, if I remember correctly, or attracts snakes.
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written by Craig, December 19, 2009
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written by Simon, December 06, 2009
I watched with interest the article about the challenge of alerting pedestrians to oncoming electric vehicles due to the silent nature of their running and wondered whether Andrew was aware of the Brammo electric motorcycle and its use of NXT Surfacesound technology. A description can be found here:
http://brammofan.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/brammo-enertia-powercycle-equipped-with-nxt-technology/
Surfacesound can not only reduce weight but the sound produced is non-directional so would be audible regardless of where the listener is in relation to the vehicle.
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written by MThomason, November 30, 2009
The big question is: would they remember how to turn it on if they encountered a time when they needed the auto-low-speed-noise feature? Would they just beep the horn?
IMHO, it ALWAYS should be the responsibility of the driver and pedestrian. As a driver, you don't know if the blind person is hearing impaired (and can't hear your car)...just like you don't know if the "normal" pedestrian is mentally impaired or in a prescription drug stupor. When it comes down to the court-room after an accident, it will be you against the pedestrian...not automaker vs. the pedestrian. You're the one piloting the 3000+ lb machine...so it's your responsibility not to run over someone.
I vote that EVs should be Quiet. The only change I'd like to see is a smarter horn that makes a polite sound if you lightly hit it...so we can alert blind people...or cell phone users that are oblivious that the light just changed.
I think the iCane idea is interesting, but you can't assume everyone will be able to have OR afford a safety device (especially one from Apple :-)...especially if it needs recharging. The driver is almost always at fault for a vehicle-pedestrian accident...you cannot escape the responsibility.
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written by Jetson, November 30, 2009
has a nice peaceful sound and warns people
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written by MonaLisa, November 27, 2009
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written by Sorithea, November 27, 2009
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written by moreyra, November 27, 2009
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written by Sisdog, November 27, 2009
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written by m, November 27, 2009
Get more innovative, forget the horn and figure something little simplier out. Don't over engineer it make it simple easy to everyone to use and deal with.
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For those concerned about how this works: On the EV1, the driver flashed the high beams and the sound was made. At 'higher' speeds just the high beams flashed and no sound was emitted. Full control by the driver, no need to be noisy when the situation did not warrant it.