MEASURE REQUIRES STUDY ON ALERTING THE BLIND AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS OF ONCOMING VEHICLES

Washington, Dec 16, 2010 -

“Hybrid and electronic vehicles operate with silent or near silent motors,” stated Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Sixth).   “While in a parking lot in my hometown, I noticed how close a ‘quiet’ vehicle can get to an individual before it’s noticed.  In meeting with the National Federation of the Blind, I learned of the difficulty the visually impaired have in discerning these vehicles and that they rely on audible cues to detect traffic.  This led me to join Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) in offering the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act to protect the visually impaired as well as joggers, children, and others who need to be alert to approaching traffic.”

The Senate approved its version of this bill, S. 841, and the House today joined in passing it by an overwhelming vote of 379 to 30.It now goes to the President for his signature.  S. 841 requires that NHTSA conduct a study to determine a minimum level of sound necessary to alert blind and other pedestrians of the presence of operating vehicles. It also requires the Department of Transportation to start the rulemaking process within 18 months of enactment, requiring all vehicles to abide by the minimum sound requirement within three years.

Explained Stearns, “A study by Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum, a perceptual psychology professor at the University of California, has a study indicating that a hybrid vehicle must be 40 percent closer to a test subject than a car with a traditional motor before the subject can determine from which direction the car is approaching.”

“This bill enjoys the support of the National Federation for the Blind; the American Council of the Blind; the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc.; and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers,” added Stearns.  “In addition, the Congressional Budget Office reports that this bill is completely cost-neutral.”