Pedestrian Hazard & Electric Vehicles

[Die Judicii]

I've been thinking lately that the frequency of pedestrians being hit and or run over will in all probability see a sharp rise in the coming future.

It's bad enough as it is at present with pedestrians not paying full attention when stepping onto a roadway,, whilst talking on their phone or
otherwise distracted.

But,,,,,, I can only see incidents increasing dramatically with the introduction of more and more electric vehicles.
Being almost completely silent,, pedestrians aren't going to hear them coming up behind them.

I'll bet that will see some major policy reviews by insurance companies and the like.

[No1Mk3]

I doubt it, those peds who fail to pay attention to their surroundings don't even notice a semi coming up on them, there are a couple alive only because I was wary of them and my old Aeromax made more noise than the Collingwood fans at the MCG. You could be on a chook chaser with expansion chambers and they wouldn't notice you.

[Jorlcrin]

Some of the small ICE cars in recent years, are nearly as quiet as an EV.

EV's at speed still produce tyre and wind noise, so someone who's keeping an ear out should hear them.

I've also wondered if they wont need to fit 'noise-makers' to them, if they are found to be too quiet.

Also makes me wonder how many more animal impacts will happen in rural areas; wondering if the lower noise wont cause Hoppys or Cattle to ignore the threat till it's too late.
Not that Hoppys need much incentive to do stupid decisions.
And dont get me started on the dumb-ness of your average Emu...

[Blr243]

I heard that in Europe they are starting to fit noise to cars so people can hear them. Second hand info. Do t know how true it is

[NTSOG]

G'day,

Speaking as a road-racing cyclist [retired] I have been knocked off my bike several times when cycling [commuting and training] in/through suburbia by drongos who did not look, perhaps because they did not hear me coming. The fools simply stepped off the footpath and hit me from the side making me fall into the traffic. The standard response was 'Where did you come from?' A couple of these incidents occurred pre-mobile 'phones in the 1970s. Nowadays I only have to watch out for 'roos bolting across the road when out cycling - I suspect they don't hear me coming too.

Jim

[womble]

Naah my truck is pretty loud. They step out in front of it. Hoodies and earphones completely oblivious to their surroundings.
Happens all the time. They even walk smack into each other quite often

[str8shutr]

EV warning sounds have been designed in, at least for the ones that have been established, for over a decade now:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_warning_sounds

According to the above, the EU has mandated alert systems for about as long. The EU has significant market power, so, I'd expect that Australia will follow world standards (if not now then eventually).

Personally, I think pedestrians are at greater risk of being collected by an e-scooter. e-scooters are subject to a lot less regulation both in terms of design standard (no noise generators), market restrictions (very easy to source "grey" hardware with jacked batteries and electric drives) and operator licencing.

[Wm.Traynor]

Personally, I think pedestrians are at greater risk of being collected by an e-scooter. e-scooters are subject to a lot less regulation both in terms of design standard (no noise generators), market restrictions (very easy to source "grey" hardware with jacked batteries and electric drives) and operator licencing.

I agree. Those things and bicycles are silent and they scare the living daylights out of me when they overtake, on the footpath, from behind. I hate them!

[str8shutr]

Personally, I think pedestrians are at greater risk of being collected by an e-scooter. e-scooters are subject to a lot less regulation both in terms of design standard (no noise generators), market restrictions (very easy to source "grey" hardware with jacked batteries and electric drives) and operator licencing.

I agree. Those things and bicycles are silent and they scare the living daylights out of me when they overtake, on the footpath, from behind. I hate them!

At least pedal power bicycles don't go up in flames:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyY-tnohLiY
This is what I was thinking of with the comment about "grey" hardware.

[Peterwho]

A loose translation of some Mandarin terms used to describe E scooters is “whispering death”.