EVs “Too Quiet” For Blind, Vulnerable Pedestrians
April 11, 2008
A researcher at the University of California Riverside says that slow-moving electric vehicles may pose a significant risk of injury to blind pedestrians, who rely on changes in the noise level of an oncoming vehicle to determine its direction and speed. Lawrence Rosenblum, a professor of psychology at UCR says that electric cars diminish the lead time in which blind pedestrians have to identify a moving vehicle by 40 percent or more, significantly increasing the likelihood that a blind pedestrian will not have enough time to avoid a collision with an EV.
The risk is also greater for sighted pedestrians, bicyclists, children and runners who may be distracted by other elements of their environment, or who cannot visually identify a moving vehicle. Rosenblum bases his conclusions on preliminary research conducted in a laboratory setting, which sought to determine a blind person’s ability to identify recorded vehicle noises from conventional internal combustion engines compared to those produced by electric vehicles.
Rosenblum will conduct tests with blind people to determine their actual risk level. Additionally, he will meet with researchers who are developing audible systems that would enhance pedestrian’s ability to detect the vehicle when it operates at slower speeds. At higher speeds, road noises from tires and wind would likely generate enough sound to warn pedestrians of the vehicle’s presence.
According to Rosenblum, vehicle manufacturers would not have to make major modifications to the vehicle to achieve added safety goals. He believes that subtle acoustical enhancements would be sufficient to provide additional warning to pedestrians.
Last month, the National Federation for the Blind successfully lobbied a subcommittee of the Maryland legislature to study the possibility of requiring EV manufacturers to increase the operational noise of their vehicles to accommodate blind and visually impaired people. The Maryland committee is expected to conclude its investigation and make a recommendation on ambient noise levels for EVs by the end of the year.
Photo Credit: Helmut Gevert
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