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February 07, 2006
Hybrids: A Silent Killer?
Auto News reports on an unusual problem:
As hybrid sales skyrocket, there's a growing concern that the battery-gas powered vehicles pose a risk because they aren't as noisy as gas-powered engines. When idling, hybrids run on the quiet electric battery. Most, with the exception of GM and Honda hybrids, can also operate on the battery until the car reaches higher speeds, when the gas engine kicks in.Wouldn't it be cool if all hybrids had to play auto-themed songs while idling? Little Deuce Coupe, Born to Run, 409, Born to Be Wild, Low Rider...A concert at every intersection!(Hat Tip Mickey Kaus)What follows is silence at locations where drivers are likely to tangle with pedestrians and bicyclists -- crosswalks, turning lanes and parking lots.
In Sant'Anna's case, an elderly man enjoying a morning walk didn't hear her coming as she backed into the street. She lunged for the brake, stopping just short of hitting him.
"He was in my blind spot on one side," said Sant'Anna, 41, of the Silver Creek area of San Jose. "Then I turned to look back on the other side and saw him clearing the corner of my car. I don't think he heard me and my heart almost stopped."
Tom Battle of Los Altos recalled his own near-hit as he walked to his car in the parking lot at Symantec in Mountain View, where he is the director of engineering.
"I had to jump out of the way of a hybrid, which suddenly, and completely silently, moved toward me," he said. "The car was a brand new Prius, which I remember because it was still very shiny."
Posted by Conor at February 7, 2006 02:43 PM
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Comments
Interesting. If hybrids are the "silent killer" that your title suggests, then I suppose SUVs are the "blatantly-friggin-loud killer." I just think that this is NOT one of the cases in which it's the quiet ones we gotta watch.
The difference between a Prius and a Hummer is that the driver of the Prius would at least notice when she backs into the old man. Then again, the old man behind the Hummer's exhaust pipe might die of lung cancer before impact. *sigh*...Good ol' GM (or as they call themselves, OPEC).
Besides, so many bicyclists and pedestrians are listening to their iPods that they wouldn't even hear a conventional car's idle. While the danger of quiet hybrids is certainly significant, we'll get used to paying attention to what's going on around us instead of meandering through the streets with blinders on, as many of us do.
My point is just that it could be a lot worse than quiet hybrids that sneak up on pedestrians. And for that matter, it is.
Posted by: Larsen at February 7, 2006 07:26 PM
Well, old people can't hear anything anyways so it doesn't really matter if the car was making any noise.
Posted by: beefpizza at February 7, 2006 08:57 PM
I think that the problem here is not the hybrids, but the people driving them and the people around them. Hybrids are great cares that are incredible efficient and are saving lots of resources. As a hybrid owner, it is nice to help the community. I think that if everyone was a little more aware and took their heads out of their butt (if you know what I mean) then we wouldnt even have this issue. Everyone is so involved in their own lives that we dont even look around. Im sure both of those so near hit accidents could have been avoided. In other words, its not the cars, its the people.
Posted by: Ellie at February 9, 2006 08:00 PM