Autoweek has reported on a hilarious piece of legislation in the US. Remember defensive driving? No need with this kind of thinking. Turn up the sound and those pesky bipeds had better move it or else…fair warning, right?
Legislation setting a minimum sound level for vehicles sold in the United States by as early as 2010 is expected to be introduced on Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to lead a study to determine if a minimum sound level is needed to protect pedestrians, specifically the blind. And if such a level is necessary, the bill would set it.
U.S. Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., and Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., are sponsors of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008. The proposed legislation stemmed from concern that blind pedestrians may be put in danger because of quiet-running hybrid and electric vehicles.
Every day I wonder to myself who could have let noise pollution get so far out of control. Then I read a story like this and realize that pollution is a problem with more support than opposition in current economic models. No wonder that Beijing is having a hard time reaching promised compliance goals for the Olympics. Just think, cyclists and runners required to emit noises for the safety of the other competitors.
Seriously, though, the government should be working to reduce pollution, not reward it or create some kind of wacky “security” model that makes it seem beneficial. Imagine a street so quiet that you could actually hear the tires quietly rolling…with maximums enforced the minimums become a non-issue.
Cyclists and runners won’t kill you if they hit you.
One encounter with a nearly silent electric vehicle in a parking lot made me realize that a few artificial engine noises could be an important safety feature. The same is true for cycling down hills with semi-visible driveways along the road. Being able to hear cars driving out of them helps to avoid collisions.
Noise is a factor, I agree, and I would say that even “silent” vehicles make a perceptible noise if you are familiar enough. However, rather than dispute the right frequency/level of a minimum, why not start regulating noise pollution maximums? That seems more ideal, if not completely idyllic. I’m thinking of a strategic solution, rather than the tactical aim of increasing the noise of all cars to a sadly polluting level. Maybe a phased approach is most realistic, given resistance to change, whereby vehicles will all be required to reduce their noise levels over time such that pedestrians who rely on high levels of noise can adjust.