Proposed bill aims to set minimum auto sound levels
By Donald Melanson 
posted Apr 10th 2008 1:44PM
posted Apr 10th 2008 1:44PM
Fisker Karma's recently announced hybrid sports car that generates motor noise through some external speakers might have received a good bit of derision when it first made itself known, but it now looks like it may actually be a bit ahead of the game, at least if a bill expected to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives ever actually becomes law. As AutoWeek reports, the bill was apparently prompted by concerns that hybrid and electric vehicles are a little too quiet, and pose a risk to pedestrians, especially the blind. To address that supposed danger, the bill reportedly demands that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation initiate a study to determine if a minimum sound level is in fact needed and, if so, require that automakers comply with it (possibly as early as 2010).
This law is completely unnecessary if you look both ways before crossing.
Did you read the blind people part?
As for blind people, a law requiring cars to have an electronic transmitter telling a blind person with a receiver of an approaching vehicle would be a much smarter law. Tampering or disabling a vehicles distance transmitter would be a felony.
Unless you're blind AND deaf... Believe it or not, there are some poor souls out there without sight OR vision!
But they won't be reading this, so screw em.
Seriously though, can't we do something about those damn kids and their loud stereos?
True, that would be a solution. Good thinking. May be hard to implement however. But you cant innovate without ideas!
outdoor speakers for hybrid cars to play engine whirring sound?
@Dan Davis "without sight OR vision" And there are people who cant hear too! :P Maybe reread your post next time before hitting "Add Your Comments" but otherwise yes a totally valid point
"without sight OR vision" ??? HA! You guys knew what I meant, right? RIGHT?
I was VERY nearly hit by a hybrid backing out of a space in my work parking lot and thought to myself then that if I'd heard the car running I could have taken my own precautions to make sure the driver saw me. I was shocked when the car I was INCHES away from all of the sudden started moving.
They should make them thump the ground so you can FEEL them coming, like dinosaurs. No probs for anyone then.
I think these precautions aren't necessary. People weren't instructed on how to use a traffic circle when they started popping up. So why should cars be artificially made louder? People will adapt the quieter sounding vehicles as time goes on.
Also, let's not forget, that there are more and more hybrid vehicles coming on to the market. So eventually, most of the cars will NOT be making any sound and people will adapt anyway. So I say do nothing. There will always be some idiot who isn't paying attention and they will learn the hard way. Besides, if you make a better car, people will simply spawn better idiots.
I love the caps lock key still applies. Instead of the ped paying attention the damn driver should be paying attention. If someone is blind and they are going down the street it should be pretty damn obvious and sorry but even the quietest car still has a blower in it. If you are driving through a parking lot just turn on the blower and the car will be loud enough. Its called personal responsibility for your car.
@Dan Davis -
How is a speaker blarring a "vroom vroom" going to alert a deaf and blind person?
A transmitter/reciever with force feedback for the blind and/or deaf is the proper solution.
What about starvation? World Peace? Drunken sailboat captains? The fact i dont have an iPhone? Srlsy, arent there better bills to be proposed before we get to this.
Honestly, we have laws protecting pedestrians disabled or otherwise. If drivers would be careful and wait for obviously blind people to cross the road or make eye contact with pedestrians that aren't obviously blind before making a turn at an intersection, for example, we wouldn't need this legislation.
I have a Prius and I often sneak up on people inadvertently in parking lots because I make no noise. But if I'm safe and I take responsibility, I don't need a noisier engine.
A lot of non hearing people can feel sounds, even sounds that most of us only hear.
I am not sure how loud hybrids are but I know electric vehicles are very quiet.
Since we live in a society where we need labels on coffee to tell us it is hot, I am not at all surprised.
This is great....they complain when you have a car that makes too much noise, now one that creates no noise.
Will it never end????
My thoughts exactly. Next thing you know, every car is going to be required to be lit up like a neon sign so that you can see them. But of course people will complain about that too.
I actually was hoping that my next vehicle I buy (an electric one) would be dead silent. I enjoy not hearing the roar of a big, fat inefficient gas car.
bicycles don't have engine noise, but can kill pedestrians
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/03/AR2007020301735.html
It will end, but only when the US becomes a socialist country. Probably not too far in the future, they're trying very hard lately to get socialist health care. I can only imagine the stupidity of allowing the government to control the minimum noise of a car. That's just ridiculous.
I have no problem with this as long as they can find some way where I don't hear the artificial noise generated by my own car while I'm driving it.
dream on, pixelated hockey player!
so much for personal responsibility.
I know, I'll put playing cards on the spoke of my wheels!
I was going to say with all the noise pollution this is a good thing. I live near a busy road and some noise reduction would be nice. Go for the transmitter.
I'm not philosophically opposed to the idea, but I'm worried they'll screw it up. The noise should be pleasant, not very loud, and only be on when the car is traveling slower than a certain speed (I can't imagine any reason a car would need to make extra noise at 60mph)
Was it necessary to bring philosophy into this?
I say put cards in the spokes of the wheels and be done with it. Time for a patent filing...
Urban centers don't have enough auto noise pollution, it's true. Progress makes baby Jesus cry.
In the year 2010 all cars will be silent except for the "crosswalk beep" sound that occurrs every 3 seconds.
In the yeeeeeear two-thouuuuuuuuusaaaaaaaannnnd!
You mean 2019.
And you'll hear "cross now" and "don't walk" on crosswalks.
This bill has been brought to you by GM, Ford, Chrysler and the Mobil Corporation.
More like, brought to you by U.S. Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., and Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., not to mention the state of Maryland:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/house-hears-bill-to-establish-minimum-sound-levels-for-vehicles/
I love how everyone blames "the big three" for everything.
This law is useless. Studies show that people lacking one or more of their senses, often benefit from their remaining senses being heightened. This means blind people will evolve and adapt into subsonic hearing freaks..
...give or take a few thousand years.
genetic engineering will take hold before we evolve again anyway.
The only actual research has shown that people who are blind from a very young age develop more precise hearing. It's not true of those who become blind and it's certainly not true that, no matter what sense you lose, the others get better to compensate.
In closing, studies show that people who report old wives' tales as "studies" are toxic to the gene pool.
I personally think the vision of a future with totally quiet vehicles is totally awsome.
But hey, the Jetsons jet sound would be cool too.
"I'm sorry sir, your engine noise speaker is not loud enough to pass the state inspection"
"you've got to be kidding, can't i just crank Disturbed up real loud?"
But really, can someone tell me who these nut congressmen are so i can not vote for them?
I can't believe you just plugged Disturbed..
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Seriously? If this is another one of those laws written "for the children" or in this case "for the deaf" we really should think before we legislate. How are these quieter electric cars any different than a bicycle? You can still hear electric cars coming, don't kid yourself, they aren't that quiet. I'd say more than half of the noise you hear from oncoming traffic (at least newer cars) is road noise anyway, not engine noise. This sounds like stupid legislation proposed by some company who stands to profit under the guise of protecting some other group of people, who probably didn't want to be protected anyway...
"How are these quieter electric cars any different than a bicycle?"
They are very different - in the damage they can do to a human body, and in their slower reaction/stopping time to a nearby pedestrian.
I'm a bit split over this discussion, because while it seems silly on the surface, I've been around enough silent cars to know that it makes a real difference. Sure you can look both ways, but there are blind corners, people who run lights or turn right on a red (from behind you) when you look the other way, cars you can't hear accelerating or pulling out of a roadside parking spot. Even not considering those things, there is little doubt that your own reaction time is far better when you can hear something before you see it.
Also, I highly doubt you're going to hear this noise from inside the car much, if at all, there's a big difference between this sort of speaker solution and mechanical noise on the same chassis you're sitting in.
It's true though - around 60% of the noise generated by a car comes from the tyres hitting the road. That means the average electric only car will be less than 40% quieter (don't forget, the electric engines aren't completely silent like they'd have you believe).
The only issue I can conceive would be at low speeds (below 40 Km/H) where the friction of tyres vs. road would not create much noise.
And a beeping noise when backing up should be mandatory for ALL vehicles, there are too many idiots out there who forget to look in a mirror before they stomp on the accelerator.
Being the owner of two hybrid cars I can tell you that both of them I've noticed I've scared the every loving hell out of a few people in a parking lot. Whether it be rolling by them, or backing out of a spot, whatever. They don't hear noise which doesn't alert them to something and their reaction depending on how high drama they are can be (and has happened) to jump and sometimes their jump is TOWARDS you instead of away.
On the surface, making your car 'noiser' sounds really stupid. In practice though, our self absorbed (IE on the phone, twittering, web 2.0 look at me stuff) society you don't scan the parking lot while you're walking, you're trying to keep your kid from being run over, talking to someone on the phone, checking your crackberry, whatever. No noise = no awareness = oops.
Maybe the dealer will let you choose your car's noise...like ringtones for your car. I'd love my car to emit "The Final Countdown" as I drive it.
YES! Sign me up for the "Sanford and Son" theme song!
you're gonna get some hop-ons
...if this were the case, id imagine roughly 9.75 rick rolls per day
9.75 = 9x Rick Rolls + Rick Ro?
"rick ro raggy! aaaa rhost!"
I am thinking... whale song.
^
So Long and Thanks for all the Fish?
wait, those are dolphins...
That explains the new "download an engine noise" section I saw in iTunes yesterday. I knew Apple was behind this law!
Quiet cars are needed to balance the hot air from Capitol Hill. The imbalance of karma could swallow our galaxy.
It would be funny if someone hacked the sound generator so that their car made a "Clip-Clop" sound like a horse walking on cobblestones.
come, patsy!
The article fails to mention who is allegedly proposing this bill so I have no way of commenting to them or their colleagues. Is there any chance this is just a new urban legend? It smells like one until I see proof or supporting evidence.
Let's set the minimum level for emissions while we're at it -- so you can smell the exhaust of approaching cars.
First they sue to get braille on money and now this.
I swear to gawd - we're losing our country (j/k)
HOTDOG! Fellas (co patent holders), we are about to be broke off something ugly!!!
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/14/fisker-karma-hybrid-sports-car-to-generate-motor-noise-through-e/2#comments
Am I the only one who has images of Focus and Civic hybrids roaring about with hacked speakers and Ferrari engine noise?
Maybe iTunes will have downloadable engine noises...
I'll take the Model-T Ford...
Having speakers outside will not help it will only add to the cost of the vehicle and be one more thing to break due to being used constantly and being out in the weather. I have a motorcycle and I know a lot of other people with motorcycles and even though mine is quiet, many of my friends with loud ones say they bought it loud because they want people to know they are coming, mainly so they don't get hit. However experience has shown them that no matter how loud their bikes are, it doesn't make a difference because people just block out the noise.
Even though, it will add cost and does not do anything else but just make noise, this bill will probably be passed because people like to hear the noise, just look at the vacuum cleaner, they make them loud because otherwise people would think they aren't really working. Manufactures also used to put lead weights in products because people though if it was light weight it was junk. This will just be another one of those things that’s dumb but will be done anyways.
TLDR
95% of the users on this site won't read what you're posting it its even half the length of the article itself.
try the ENTER key now n then
i didnt...
You gotta be F***** kidding me. This is the most idiotic law I have ever heard.
"Hey Good Lookin', we'll be back to pick you up later!"
HAHA!! I wonder how many people get this reference? :D :D
Just us old farts, I guess.
and the 'Honk at the Blind' bumper sticker was born.
Utterly stupid.
I own a Camry Hybrid and have been worried somebody might not hear me coming, especially in parking lots. It's made me extra careful when looking for a parking space. @Brent -- I agree about the backing out of a space issue. Sometimes I can't see around the truck I'm parked next to. If I back out very slowly, cars coming down the aisle would see me, but if somebody is walking behind the truck next to me, I wouldn't see them and they wouldn't hear me. I don't want extra noise as a solution, unless it's only for backing up (beep...beep...beep).
How about one of those 12 foot long fiberglass whips with orange triangles on top the way cool kids had on thier bikes?
Or maybe a hello kitty helium balloon tied to your car antennea?
Or maybe a marine flare gun you could fire every time you leave your parking space?
Or if you live in Homewood in Pittsburgh, you could just 'bust a cap from yo jimmy' to alert pedestrians?
Or maybe you could just park a bit away from the store, away from other vehicles, and walk an extra 23 feet per day?
Many solutions, and none require the federal gummint.
How about one of those 12 foot long fiberglass whips with orange triangles on top the way cool kids had on their bikes?
Or maybe a hello kitty helium balloon tied to your car antenna?
Or maybe a marine flare gun you could fire every time you leave your parking space?
Or maybe you could just park a bit away from the store, away from other vehicles, and walk an extra 23 feet per day?
Many solutions, and none require the federal gummint.
how about proof reading or picking up a dictionary?
i don't know about you, but i don't *listen* when i back out my car. in fact, my ears definitely not the go-to sense i use ever when driving.
/ Insert Jetson's car sounds here /
So what song will everyone have their electric car play?
I'm thinking "Highway to the Danger Zone" for mine
pure awesome
I shall steal your idea and pass it off as my own.
Easy. Just require hybrid drives to roll down their windows and play their Biz Markie CD loudly before backing up.
More cowbell!
Reminds me of the scene in Weeds where U-Turn, the drug dealer, buys a Prius so that he can sneak up on people for drive by shootings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZJjTEmXaf8
My car will make plenty of noise in the corners (tire squeal). Why don't we just create a law that sets the minimum speed while cornering. That way we save gas by maintaining momentum, and blind/deaf people can still hear us coming! Think outside the box people.
I think you missed the box entirely.
@LR
That's what she...
nevermind.
This will just up the costs a little and that cost will be past along to the consumer. This is as dumb as putting brail on drive through ATMs. They need to think of another fix that doesn't effect everyone so much.
why won't my comments work!
Two words: Whistle Tips
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nnzw_i4YmKk
"They go Woo-woo!"
Official Nominee: Best Engadget Comments of 2008
The "Final Countdown" reference may have guaranteed this story the coveted Golden Gadgie statuette.
I could see a market for trading noise emissions, kinda like carbon emissions. If you don't want your car to emit sounds, I'll use your credits with my motorcycle.
Wow, another problem with hybrid's that driving a diesel would take care of, completely! :P
uhhh.. what are the other ones?
actually, i'd love to have a hybrid bio diesel. eat THAT would be greenie soccer moms!
Uh, the other problems that diesels solve?
Like, helping to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and increasing fuel economy? ;)
OR speed up the research on FLYING cars, and the blind pedestrians will be safe; unless they have jetpacks.
The cars are much heavier. Jet packs for pedestrians, cars on the ground!
And the whistle go "Woo woop"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLjQgkVaznM&feature=related
If you ever had a hybrid car sneek up behind you and startle you, you wouldn't think this law is a bad idea. On the plus side, I hope the manufacturers think about adding bluetooth capabilty to allow hearing the phone ring or listening to music while you are, lets say, playing volleyball.
i usually get out of my car before playing volleyball