Stealth Assassins: Are Hybrids Hazards for the Blind?

 Can we talk about the blind for a moment? There’s all this hoopla over hybrids being too quiet that more hybrids on the road mean streets will be more dangerous for the disabled.

I’ve heard a few people say that as long as drivers and pedestrians obey current laws, there shouldn’t be a problem. But what about the other places that we walk as well as drive … like parking lots. How many drivers aren’t going to realize the blind can’t hear them coming?

From the above article:

“One of the many benefits of the Prius, besides excellent fuel economy and low emissions, is quiet performance. Not only does it not pollute the air, it doesn’t create noise pollution,” [Bill] Kwong [spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales USA] said. “We are studying the issue and trying to find that delicate balance.”

And now this, from the same article:

Officials with two separate arms of the U.S. Department of Transportation — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration — said they are aware of the problem but have not studied it.

Shouldn’t this be the other way around? I mean, come on folks! The American government isn’t as worried about our safety as Toyota Motor Sales? There’s a problem here. I know we all enjoy that quiet ride, but people’s safety is more important.

I like this article because it’s debunking the hype pushed around online. Most blind people don’t expect hybrids to give up their ability to lessen noise pollution. They just want some way of telling when a car is coming. It’s not written off as some remote possibility. It’s used studies to back these ideas up. Blind people’s needs aren’t being met by today’s hybrids. They deserve for this problem to be fixed. If I were blind, I would be very frustrated by people who would fight that.