One of the perks of driving an electric vehicle is the peace and quiet.
But the absence of noise and vibration from an internal combustion engine also poses a danger to blind, elderly, and young (or distracted) pedestrians and cyclists.
Early last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced requirements for “quiet cars” to emit a specific warning sound when moving at speeds below 20 mph.
(Automobiles traveling above 18.6 mph apparently generate enough noise from tire and wind resistance.)
Now, the agency is considering relaxing the rules to allow a suite of alerts from which a driver may select their preference.
In response to a petition from automakers, NHTSA has proposed an amendment “to remove the current limitation of one sound per vehicle model,” Reuters reported.
The department is seeking public comment “on whether there should be a limit to the number of compliant sounds that a manufacturer can install, and what that limit should be.”
I’d like to submit for consideration the entire ABBA back catalog, game show sound effects, and the intonation of a lightsaber being ignited, wielded, and retracted.
You’re welcome, NHTSA.
The long-delayed regulations, first submitted in 2010, will take full effect by 2020, when every quiet vehicle will need some sort of alert mechanism.
The public has until Nov. 1 to register comments on this proposal.
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Source: https://www.geek.com/tech/drivers-may-be-able-to-choose-quiet-vehicle-alert-sound-1804234/?source
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Stephanie Mlot
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