Is Silence Deadly?
Created August 17, 2005, at 7:15 am by Anonymous
Isn't there a highway safety factor in hybrids? Driven only by an electric motor, which is almost silent, no one will 'hear' them coming. Should they have some 'noise' built in?
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You can hear the a/c and the cooler fans.
The engine runs pretty much all the time on the highway, but thankfully, that's pretty quiet too.
I suppose we could all be rednecks and have blastpacks put on our hybrids, but I've always been of the impression that most vehicles run too loud anyway.
They're only "silent" at slow speed (parking lots, garages, bumper-to-bumper, etc) when there isn't as much other noises for the car to make. On main roads and highways, they make just as much tire and wind noise as any other cars do.
It will have to be addresse - hopefully in a smart way and not something knee jerk after more children are run over.
Here the topic is contining to pick up steam (if you'll pardon the metaphor.)
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/are-hybrids-too-quiet/index.h...
My best advice would be to put some sort of "not-too-loud" buzzer/beeper on the car. Sort of like how some electric golf carts make a beeping sound when they roll or are pushed without an occupant/driver behind the wheel. The sound is not anywhere near as loud as a horn, but it does get your attention if you are within about 20ft of the cart.
Hybrid cars are by no means silent, even when they run on electricity only at low speeds or at a stand still. There is still a very distinct high-frequency hissing noise that's pretty unmistakable (even with A/C and fans off), and when I hear it while walking on the street I know there must be a hybrid in the area. I think those who cannot hear hybrid cars should seriously think about having their hearing checked - and I mean that in the nicest possible way. That would be much more productive than making life more miserable for the rest of us by making hybrids more noisy. Quiet operation is actually one of the best perks about these cars!
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