3 ms·
Electric cars still make noise: the wind, the tires, and for trucks the cargo can too sometimes. It's just that they would make considerably less noise. Blind
by kleiba 15y ago
Electric cars still make noise: the wind, the tires, and for trucks the cargo can too sometimes. It's just that they would make considerably less noise.
Blind people usually don't simply jaywalk a crowded street, they cross at the lights. And you'd still be able to hear moving cars.
I don't think phones ring because we rely on our ears in times of danger. It's because hearing is one of the senses that doesn't require exclusive focus (you would not want to stare at your phone all day until it starts blinking, although in some offices they do). Smell and taste wouldn't be alternatives for obvious reasons, but feel could be, and in fact phones can vibrate. Some wrist alarm clocks do too. And fire alarms are nothing we're exposed to every hour of the day.
I acknowledge that the fact that cars are pretty loud could be helpful in reducing accidents. But apparently your theory has a flaw, or else no one would ever get hit by a car. Now, one could say that more people would get hit by cars if all cars were super-silent, but my original point was that this is just because we're not (yet) used to more silent cars. I think pedestrians would change their behavior and get used to them.
For people living on highly frequented roads, continous noise can become a very stressful factor. It drastically reduces quality of life and can negatively affect your psychological and physical health. That doesn't mean that every person living on a busy street gets sick. But I would still argue in favor of reducing noise where possible, and more silent engines could be one factor.
- ianterrell 15y agoIn context, this is referring to sound: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a research report last year that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in pedestrian crashes at low speeds compared with conventional vehicles. The study looked at circumstances in which vehicles were slowing down or stopping, backing up or entering or departing a parking space. And for sheer quantities: Nearly 4,100 pedestrians were killed and 59,000 were injured in 2009, according to the most recent data available. And for how the blind themselves feel, rather than our guesses: Blind pedestrians have pushed for the changes, saying the quiet purr of hybrids can pose risks for them because they use sound cues to travel safely. http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/stories/hybrid-cars-should-be-seen-and-heard-congress-says http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/stories/hybrid-...
- kiiski 15y ago"I don't think phones ring because we rely on our ears in times of danger. It's because hearing is one of the senses that doesn't require exclusive focus (you would not want to stare at your phone all day until it starts blinking, although in some offices they do)." One could say the same about cars. Silent cars would require much more focus and no amount of adapting will change that.
- kleiba 15y agoI disagree. Take for instance a city like Amsterdam (or any other Dutch city for that matter). People ride bikes there. Lots of bikes. Fast bikes. When you go there for the first time, you better make sure you walk on the right side of the side walk, or else you're actually in danger of getting run over - you're just not used to them, and the bike lanes often are on the side walks. But you do get used to that - you simply start looking out more carefully. I see no reason why it should be different with cars, especially since you would probably hear even a silent car more easily than a bike.