Deleted member 1867
Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2011
- Messages
- 12
Hi,
This legislation mandates 'Pedestrian Alerts' and was signed January 4, 2011, the last day before the new Congress. It passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and a 379 to 30 vote in the House. At this point, it is law and all subsequent actions will be by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.) The NHTSA has just finished issuing the final regulations associated with another safety law that mandates backup cameras in all cars in two years, 2013-2014.
The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act was signed into law February 28, 2008 and will achieve full force by 2014, a 5-6 year delay from signature to effect. Now I support this legislation because there are a well documented, 200 fatalities per year that these backup cameras can help avoid. With 'blood on the streets' and given the abysmal, poor rear vision, these cameras will save lives. But I don't have a similar view of S.841.
The Leaf and the Volt are the first production EVs with driver controlled, 'pedestrian alert' built-in, a great experiment. The S.841 advocates believe these cars will be safer because of the noise maker. I believe the best possible outcome is these vehicles will be just as deadly as today's engine powered cars and with them always on, pedestrian safety will not be improved. Nearly a decade of Prius accident data (http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/Prius_Fatal_Accidents/index.html) shows this to be the case but the law was passed anyway. So I continue to track Prius accidents (http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/accident.html) hoping to find measurable incidents where a noise maker might have made a difference.
The NHTSA tracks fatalities in deaths per 100 million miles, 1.37 in 2005 down to about 1.02 in 2010. Pedestrian deaths are about 12%. What this means is with a 100 mile, EV range it will take a long, long time before the Leaf and Volt have enough miles, at least 3.4 billion miles, before any sort of statistically valid analysis could be made. But it is important that the 'Pedestrian Alert' noise generator be properly tested.
My daddy used to say there are only two things that will make a man unhappy: not getting what he asked for and getting what he asked for. By conducting the experiment, gathering data from accidents that happen with the noise generator working, we get metrics, real world incidents, that even before statistically significant numbers accumulate, will show even the greatest skeptic, me, and greatest advocates, empirical data leading to the truth. Already, we have one data point.
User "kingwindwardnissan" reported delivery of a Leaf was delayed because of a malfunctioning noise generator ("anyone having issues with that low speed nosie maker?") A few, new vehicle deliveries are delayed everyday because some latent defect. For example, my wife's new Prius was delivered without the clips that hold the driver side floor mat in place. Loose floor mats have caused jammed accelerators leading to documented accidents. But when I realized the clips were missing, I went back to the dealer the next day and installed them myself. So a defective noise generator is the same class of problem as missing floor mat clips in my wife's Prius . . . we call these infantile defects.
One last thing to share is my interest in automotive safety comes from a sincere interest in safety which apparently is not universally shared. As evidence of my commitment, I have a modified backup light in my 2003 Prius that has a backup beeper:
http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/pri_mirror_050.mp4
I bought the part on Ebay and had to adapt it to work in my NHW11, 2003 Prius, the sedan shaped, compact car. Unlike the useless cabin beeper in our ZVW30, 2010 Prius, that can not be heard outside of the cabin, the back light beeper is mute in the cabin yet easily heard by those behind my car . . . an area difficult to scan without a backup camera.
I do experiments with my own car which includes adding after market, convex mirrors to cover blind spots:
In this case, the little red minicooper is in my blind spot where I could not see it in my driver side, outside mirror:
Regardless, I wanted to share some my history and background . . . an introduction.
As for S.841 it will probably take 5-6 years before regulations mandating uncontrolled noise generators come fully into force. The Prius data says that at best it will extend the existing pedestrian fatality rates but it is important that the experiment be seen through to the end. Leaf owners are the leading edge of this experiment.
Thanks,
Bob Wilson
ps. One caution, I found it was easy to think the 'beeper gives me right of way.' It was an unexpected, moral hazard briefly experienced in a crowded, Christmas parking lot.
This legislation mandates 'Pedestrian Alerts' and was signed January 4, 2011, the last day before the new Congress. It passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and a 379 to 30 vote in the House. At this point, it is law and all subsequent actions will be by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.) The NHTSA has just finished issuing the final regulations associated with another safety law that mandates backup cameras in all cars in two years, 2013-2014.
The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act was signed into law February 28, 2008 and will achieve full force by 2014, a 5-6 year delay from signature to effect. Now I support this legislation because there are a well documented, 200 fatalities per year that these backup cameras can help avoid. With 'blood on the streets' and given the abysmal, poor rear vision, these cameras will save lives. But I don't have a similar view of S.841.
The Leaf and the Volt are the first production EVs with driver controlled, 'pedestrian alert' built-in, a great experiment. The S.841 advocates believe these cars will be safer because of the noise maker. I believe the best possible outcome is these vehicles will be just as deadly as today's engine powered cars and with them always on, pedestrian safety will not be improved. Nearly a decade of Prius accident data (http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/Prius_Fatal_Accidents/index.html) shows this to be the case but the law was passed anyway. So I continue to track Prius accidents (http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/accident.html) hoping to find measurable incidents where a noise maker might have made a difference.
The NHTSA tracks fatalities in deaths per 100 million miles, 1.37 in 2005 down to about 1.02 in 2010. Pedestrian deaths are about 12%. What this means is with a 100 mile, EV range it will take a long, long time before the Leaf and Volt have enough miles, at least 3.4 billion miles, before any sort of statistically valid analysis could be made. But it is important that the 'Pedestrian Alert' noise generator be properly tested.
My daddy used to say there are only two things that will make a man unhappy: not getting what he asked for and getting what he asked for. By conducting the experiment, gathering data from accidents that happen with the noise generator working, we get metrics, real world incidents, that even before statistically significant numbers accumulate, will show even the greatest skeptic, me, and greatest advocates, empirical data leading to the truth. Already, we have one data point.
User "kingwindwardnissan" reported delivery of a Leaf was delayed because of a malfunctioning noise generator ("anyone having issues with that low speed nosie maker?") A few, new vehicle deliveries are delayed everyday because some latent defect. For example, my wife's new Prius was delivered without the clips that hold the driver side floor mat in place. Loose floor mats have caused jammed accelerators leading to documented accidents. But when I realized the clips were missing, I went back to the dealer the next day and installed them myself. So a defective noise generator is the same class of problem as missing floor mat clips in my wife's Prius . . . we call these infantile defects.
One last thing to share is my interest in automotive safety comes from a sincere interest in safety which apparently is not universally shared. As evidence of my commitment, I have a modified backup light in my 2003 Prius that has a backup beeper:
http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/pri_mirror_050.mp4
I bought the part on Ebay and had to adapt it to work in my NHW11, 2003 Prius, the sedan shaped, compact car. Unlike the useless cabin beeper in our ZVW30, 2010 Prius, that can not be heard outside of the cabin, the back light beeper is mute in the cabin yet easily heard by those behind my car . . . an area difficult to scan without a backup camera.
I do experiments with my own car which includes adding after market, convex mirrors to cover blind spots:
In this case, the little red minicooper is in my blind spot where I could not see it in my driver side, outside mirror:
Regardless, I wanted to share some my history and background . . . an introduction.
As for S.841 it will probably take 5-6 years before regulations mandating uncontrolled noise generators come fully into force. The Prius data says that at best it will extend the existing pedestrian fatality rates but it is important that the experiment be seen through to the end. Leaf owners are the leading edge of this experiment.
Thanks,
Bob Wilson
ps. One caution, I found it was easy to think the 'beeper gives me right of way.' It was an unexpected, moral hazard briefly experienced in a crowded, Christmas parking lot.
