• The trend toward putting more environmentally friendly, quiet vehicles on the road has unintentionally jeopardized the safety and independence of the blind and other pedestrians.
• Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y) • Regarding the House’s recent passage of a new bill requiring auto regulators to set minimum decibel levels for hybrid vehicles. Because hybrids are so quiet, pedestrians sometimes don’t hear ’em coming, and so they get hit. It’s a particularly big issue for the visually impaired, who often rely on a car’s noise to warn them of its presence. The bill has already passed the Senate and is on its way to becoming law. source

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