Feb 11, 2007 8:22 am US/Eastern
The Blind Say Hybrid Cars Could Endanger Lives
Suzanne Collins
Reporting
(WJZ) ANNAPOLIS, Md. A house committee in Annapolis voted "yes" to a bill Thursday which would require more hybrid cars to be sold in Maryland.
But, as WJZ's Suzanne Collins reports, there is one group of people saying a law like that could endanger their lives.
The National Federation of the Blind said it is very concerned about any law that would require more hybrid and fuel efficient cars be sold because those cars make very little noise.
"For blind people we use the sound of the traffic not only to determine when to cross the street, but to navigate, and hybrid vehicles are silent," said Chris Danielsen from the Federation of the Blind.
Many blind people have said they support conserving fuel and promoting a clean environment, but they want an amendment to the Maryland bill, which would require hybrids to make noise.
Advocates for the blind have made two suggestions to lawmakers. One is to have the radiator fan of the hybrid vehicle go on when the cars go into electric mode, the other is to put something in the car's wheel well to make noise when the car is moving.
Blind city-goers explained they can hear the wind resistance of cars on a high speed highway or the grinding of gravel on a country road, but when crossing city streets they need to hear the car's engine.
John Pare belongs to the National Federation of the Blind and he is very concerned about the bill. "The traffic and the sound of the cars give a very clear signal of what the pattern is, when stopping, when accelerating, when they're turning."
A test was done at the National Federation of the Blind's Headquarters with a Toyota Prius and a Honda Hybrid. Testers said the Honda was quiet but they could not hear the Toyota at all.
"I never heard the car until it actually touched me, I was shocked," said Pare.
The Vice Chairman of the House Environmental Affairs Committee said there is no language in Maryland's clean car bill to address the concerns of the blind. But, a strong suggestion will be made to the Department of Transportation to come up with some solutions.
Supporters have also said the technology necessary to make hybrids a little bit noisier would not add too much to the cost of the car.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
2 comments:
Blind people - they never lived long in the past did they? Like before cars, did they try and get laws passed that all mountain lions had bells attached to them so that they would know that something was about to kill them?
Buying a hybrid makes the genetic pool stronger.
If you are against hybrids, you not only a communist, you hate people. Die people haters, die on the grill of the silent deaf killer.
I think your car needs more cowbell.
Post a Comment