Are Hybrid Cars too quiet?
This report by Larissa Branin in Science Today about the research conducted by University of California, Riverside under the leadership of Lawrence Rosenblum, the professor of cognitive psychology is a good eye-opener for all of us, since it highlights the real life problem that could be faced by blind people, due to the silent operation of Hybrid cars. It is a fact that blind people rely heavily on sounds for correct judgment in their movements and decision-making, and the fact highlighted by the study that a slowly approaching hybrid car barely makes any noise, indeed poses a great risk to the safety of blind people on roads. I hope that the Congressional bill, which proposes for a minimum audibility requirement for cars is accepted and implemented for the sake of safety of all types of pedestrians, how much ever we appreciate absolutely smooth and silent running of cars on the road.
Read the entire article at the University of California
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