Maryland may mandate vehicles to make some noise in order to protect the safety of blind pedestrians. This would be a rule targeted on hybrid and electric vehicles, which can run silently when the gas engine is turned off. Blind pedestrians rely on the sound of the engine to be sure there is no car approaching."When compared to vehicles using traditional combustion engines, hybrid vehicles are virtually silent when accelerating and decelerating, making it impossible for blind individuals to detect their presence," the National Federation of the Blind said in a statement this week.
A bill was presented by Sen. Norman Stone (Dem) to create a task force which will recommend a minimum sound requirement for new vehicles sold and licensed in Maryland.
Both Toyota and Ford told Automotive News that the issue should be addressed by the industry as a whole, in other words, there should be just one solution.
Source: Md. lawmakers consider minimum vehicle sound levels - Automotive News
The image comes from flickr. It's my attempt at bringing a little levity to a very serious issue.
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