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Japanese Mull Noisier Hybrids to Protect Blind

Survey finds blind people are unnerved by silent vehicles

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 8, 2009 4:08 AM CDT

(Newser) – Japanese automakers are looking into ways to make their super-quiet hybrid cars a lot louder after more than half of blind people surveyed said they were terrified of the vehicles, AP reports. The automakers are considering equipping the vehicles with radar to sense pedestrians and make sounds like engine noises or a musical riff similar to a ringtone.

A reporter drives Toyota 's  plug-in hybrid vehicle during a test run in Tokyo.
A reporter drives Toyota 's plug-in hybrid vehicle during a test run in Tokyo.   (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)
Visitors look at Toyota Motor Corp's hybrid car Prius displayed at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. Toyota reported a smaller-than-expected 77.8 billion yen (US$819 million) quarterly loss and expects less red ink for the full year even as the world's top automaker battles plunging...
Visitors look at Toyota Motor Corp's hybrid car "Prius" displayed at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. Toyota reported a smaller-than-expected 77.8 billion yen (US$819...   (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Workers give new Prius hybrid vehicles a final checkup at Toyota Tsutsumi Plant in central Japan.
Workers give new Prius hybrid vehicles a final checkup at Toyota Tsutsumi Plant in central Japan.   (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Reporters get into Toyota Motor Corp.'s plug-in hybrid vehicles for a road test in Tokyo.
Reporters get into Toyota Motor Corp.'s plug-in hybrid vehicles for a road test in Tokyo.   (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
The_Pinkston
Sep 9, 2009 4:24 AM CDT
I agree hybrids are nice and quiet for the people that own one but when your out road biking and a Prius sneaks up on you at 65 mph it really scares the crap out of you.
Ucantusethatname
Sep 8, 2009 3:18 AM CDT
Blind persons should not be driving.

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