Pedestrians and bicyclists have ended up in more crashes with quiet hybrid cars than with typical vehicles with noisy internal combustion engines (ICE). The new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, titled "Incidence of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes by Hybrid Electric Passenger Vehicles", studied crashes between pedestrians/cyclists and vehicles finding that the lack of noise for new hybrids was linked to an increase in crashes. These crashes were more prevalent at intersections, interchanges, parking lots and other places where cars traveled at slow speed, the places where the hybrids were most likely to be quietest. It found that hybrids were twice as likely to be in a crash with a pedestrian in these areas.
According to ConsumerReports.org:
NHTSA looked at state-level crash files to compare crash rates on these two types of vehicle engines. Out of 8,387 hybrids 77 (or .9 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrains. Out of 559,703 conventional vehicles studied, 3,578 (or .6 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrians. In crashes involving bicyclists, 48 (or almost .6 percent) were involved in crashes with a hybrid vehicle whereas conventional vehicles were implicated in 1,862 (or .3 percent) of crashes.
The study (pdf) found that these incidences were more likely to occur in areas with low speed limits. The hybrids had a higher incidence—two times more likely to have a pedestrian crash—when they were slowing or stopping, backing up, or going in or out of a parking space. Most hybrids employ their electrical motors only at these situations, making these cars eerily quiet. However, there was no difference in rate of pedestrian crashes between these two vehicles when they were going straight.
In 2007, there were 70,000 pedestrians injured and 4,654 deaths due to crashes. A number of organizations, including the National Federation for the Blind, are pushing for legislation that would require all hybrid and electric vehicles to emit a sound. A number of car makers are looking into warning systems, as well.
In the meantime, hybrid drivers need to be aware of their stealthy approach and use extra vigilance and possibly look into installing a backup alert warning device or even a backup camera to be able to see pedestrians and bicyclists around their vehicle. Likewise, pedestrians need to be vigilant as electrified automobiles will become increasingly common.
Comments
electric
The prius *is* dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists.
Mon, 12/28/2009 - 20:15It has been my experience that they can "sneak up" if you don't shoulder-check every 15 seconds one might end-up in your blind-spots(dangerous if you try to avoid a pothole) and they move without warning from parking spots. This is especially dangerous for cyclist and pedestrians who rely on the sound of an engine to determine how a vehicle intends to move.
To give some more perspective, most factories which have heavy electrically powered vehicles moving inside have an alarm on the vehicle for reversing and flashing lights and beeping for forward movement.
Anyways, that is a lot of people hit by "priora" - a 44% increase in the rate of pedestrian accidents and double the rate of accidents with cyclists. I would like to know if the study isolated the fact that most priora are driven in an urban environment where pedestrians and cyclists are plentiful(in theory)
... As an aside, I think using auditory cues are an important secondary way to cycle but always use your eyes, never just trust a car isn't going to be coming up from behind you because you don't hear it. Really this is why i don't feel listening to music while cycling is a huge deal... you won't hear a prius typically but can typically still hear horns, voices and reving engines. Cycling using your ears only is just an expert's excuse for being too lazy to properly check behind for traffic before moving lane positions on the road.
Darwin O'Connor (not verified)
coralation does not mean causation
Mon, 12/28/2009 - 20:55It's possible this increase it because people who buy hybrids are more likely to drive in areas, like downtown of cities, where there are lots of pedestrians and cycles and where they are driving slowly because those are the areas where the fuel efficiancy benefits of a hybrid are greatest.
John (not verified)
I was thinking the same thing
Tue, 12/29/2009 - 09:47I was thinking the same thing
Chilled (not verified)
Would the combination of a
Tue, 12/29/2009 - 21:14Would the combination of a hybrid car AND a hybrid bike be completely fatal to both operators??
chephy (not verified)
Heh, silent but
Thu, 12/31/2009 - 00:58Heh, silent but deadly.
That's why the arguments of those who think headphones are dangerous on a bike are ridiculous. What's dangerous is relying on your hearing to know what's going on around you on the road. Use your eyes, people, and don't trust your ears.
grisha (not verified)
I don't think the argument
Thu, 12/31/2009 - 15:57I don't think the argument against wearing headphones while cycling is a specious one - just like a radio in a car - it can be distracting to the operator.
jamesmallon (not verified)
freaking cars
Sun, 01/03/2010 - 06:45Sigh. Everyone twists statistics to suit their own preconceptions. I learned in my long-ago Philosophy major that all 'proofs' are constructed to support an opinion which is arbitrary.
Cars are dangerous, and bikes aren't, when used in the normal way. That is as close to objective fact as you can get. To make short work of the arguments to what I have said, I challenge anyone cross a road with their eyes closed, or cross a bike path eyes closed.
The idea of adding noise to hybrids pisses me off. Our cities already drone with car noise. And a car is one of the most likely things to kill you, whether you use one or not: be it by collision, pollution, or sloth induced obesity. The 'ten-thousand pound elephant in the middle of the room' is the ubiquity of cars, not whether one is sometimes quiet.
jamesmallon (not verified)
freaking cars
Sun, 01/03/2010 - 06:46Sigh. Everyone twists statistics to suit their own preconceptions. I learned in my long-ago Philosophy major that all 'proofs' are constructed to support an opinion which is arbitrary.
Cars are dangerous, and bikes aren't, when used in the normal way. That is as close to objective fact as you can get. To make short work of the arguments to what I have said, I challenge anyone cross a road with their eyes closed, or cross a bike path eyes closed.
The idea of adding noise to hybrids pisses me off. Our cities already drone with car noise. And a car is one of the most likely things to kill you, whether you use one or not: be it by collision, pollution, or sloth induced obesity. The 'ten-thousand pound elephant in the middle of the room' is the ubiquity of cars, not whether one is sometimes quiet.