National Federation of the Blind

Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety⁄Quiet Cars

Welcome to the Quiet Cars webpage sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). This page was created in response to concerns among pedestrians, especially pedestrians who are blind, about the growing trend for automobile manufacturers to design extremely quiet vehicles. These vehicles pose a hazard to pedestrians and cyclists, who need to be aware of approaching cars that are out of their line of sight. Children and seniors are likely to be most vulnerable. Quiet vehicles are highly problematic for blind pedestrians, who depend on the sound emitted by cars in order to travel safely and independently.

We all benefit from a less noisy environment, and we applaud the efforts of the automotive industry to control noise pollution. However, we feel strongly that the industry must take measures to insure the safety of blind and sighted pedestrians. We believe that vehicles can be designed to emit an inoffensive sound that will give pedestrians the information they need. We call upon the automotive industry to work with the NFB and other concerned organizations to develop a solution to the pedestrian-safety problems which quiet cars create.

On this page you will find links to published articles about quiet cars and pedestrian safety. You can also read resolutions about quiet cars that have been passed by the NFB and other organizations. We will post news of relevant research and of policy within the auto industry and the government. Finally, we offer a place where you can describe your experiences dealing with quiet cars and share your ideas on how these vehicles can be made pedestrian-safe. We are eager to hear from you.

As they become more and more prevalent, quiet cars will compromise the safety of millions of people throughout the world. By working together concerned citizens can address the problems posed by these vehicles

President Signs Pedestrian Safety
Enhancement Act

 

On Wednesday, January 5, The National Federation of the Blind commended President Barack Obama for signing into law the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (S. 841), which will protect the blind and other pedestrians from injury as a result of silent vehicle technology. Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently. New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other. For more information on this exciting development, please read the official press release.

 

Most recently, a new website has emerged taking up the topic of Quiet Cars. This site is Virginia's Quiet Cars.

Links to Articles significant to our Project

From NFB Websites with Interviews with Members:

(download) NFB of Maryland passed Resolution 2008-05-Hybrids and Silent Vehicles /a> in Word format

Research Projects

the lead person in Acoustic Research and the Quiet Cars/Hybrid Car Dr. Lawrence D. Rosenblum's Homepage>

A website devoted to experimenting with sound perception and the "Quiet Car/Hybrid Car". Audiovisual speech Web-Lab>

THE FOLLOWING LINK IS THE RESULT OF RESEARCH AND THE FORMATION OF Enhanced Vehicle Acoustics

EVA Sounds for NFB Here you will find sample recordings

The following link was sent to us as another source of development to resolve the concerns of Quiet Cars/Hybrids.
Step-Hear

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A Public mailing list on "Quiet Cars" has been started. You can join the list in several different ways--the first is by going to the QuietCars Info Page

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Committee Members:

E-mail: Deborah Kent Stein, committee Chair