If you’re familiar with electric cars, then you should know that they don’t produce much sound. This can be either a positive aspect or negative one depending on your perspective. However, regulators think that electric cars need to make some noise in order to alert pedestrians that a car is near them.
Besides looking both ways before we cross the street, people also use the sound current cars that run on gasoline make in order to avoid them on the road. This safety measure cannot be applied to electric cars since the engine of the current models barely make any noise at all.
So besides asking EV drivers to turn up their speakers or scream at any nearby pedestrians, regulators have imposed on manufacturers a new rule. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires that all hybrid and electric cars make alert beeps when traveling at speeds slower than 18.6 miles per hour.
The rule applies to four-wheeled hybrids and EV’s that weigh below 10,000 pounds. However, the alert beeps won’t be required at speeds above 19 mph, since the tires and the wind friction provide enough sound to alert the nearby pedestrians about the presence of a vehicle.
The rule comes in effect only on September 1st, 2019. However, the regulators have stated that at least half of the newly produced electric cars and hybrids must comply with the rule and produce an alert by at least September 1st, 2018.
The new regulations are the direct result of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act which gave the NHSTA the mandate to implement a noisemaking solution for quiet cars by 2014. Unfortunately, the government has kept pushing the initial date back until now.
The new rule will lead to 2,400 fewer injuries, according to an NHSTA projection. It will also cost automakers around $39 million annually to implement such a safety measure which requires an external, waterproof speaker. However, the costs are significantly lower than the $250 to $320 million reduced costs of healthcare thanks to injury prevention.
Car companies part of the Auto Alliance have expressed their support for the new safety measure.
Do you have an electric car? Do you think the new measure will be effective in alerting pedestrians?
Image source: Wikipedia