Pedestrians Who Are Blind May Not Hear Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars like the one pictured above are becoming popular among environmentally conscious drivers, due to their increased fuel economy and lower emissions. However, they may pose a danger to blind pedestrians. When running in electric mode, hybrid cars are very quiet and emit only about as much noise as an electric golf cart. Jana Littrell, who is blind, told the Los Angeles Times that her foot was run over by a Toyota Prius in a bank parking lot. She was not seriously injured, but says of the incident, "It has definitely put me more on my guard, but I don't know how much good that's going to do me if I can't hear the car coming." One study found that pedestrians had to be 40% closer to hybrids than traditional cars before hearing them.

Disability advocates, including the National Federation for the Blind, are lobbying for legislation encouraging or requiring automakers to install noisemaking technologies to combat the hazards of near-silent cars. A hearing was held in Maryland on March 21st regarding a bill that would create a "Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety" task force to study the effects of vehicle sound on pedestrian safety and examine current noisemaking technologies available to reduce these hazards, and to provide recommendations by the end of the year. Difficulties in implementing noisemaking technology include that artifical sounds like warning bells are not recognized by pedestrians as related to cars. Engineers have struggled to identify exactly which of the many sounds a traditional vehicle emits are most effective in warning pedestrians that a car is approaching.

In the meantime, organizations serving the blind community are working toward temporary solutions to allow hybrids and blind pedestrians to safely co-exist. Guide Dogs for the Blind recently added training dogs to detect Priuses and similar cars by sight as well as sound to its training program. Other guide dog organizations are following suit by adding Priuses to their training regimen, including Guide Dogs of the Desert.