Artificial noise; is this a thing?

[FunkyWorm]

Electric cars more likely to hit pedestrians than petrol vehicles, study finds

“Since July 2019, all new hybrid and electric vehicles sold in Europe have been required to have an acoustic vehicle alerting system that emits sound when the car is travelling slowly…”

Is this the case with the MG4?

 

[nanomad]

Of course, the noise is quite subdued but you can hear it below 20/30 kph if you keep your window down.

 

[FunkyWorm]

I’ve been driving around London with my windows down since the weather improved (better than 5 miles/KWh - hurrah!) and not heard a thing?! Maybe my middle-aged hearing is worse than I thought…

 

[Martinonline]

The us a YouTube video where the car is driven with and without the sounder past microphones. There is a sound but it is not very loud.

As a aside why are pedestrians being hit given the NCAP safety features in place? Is everyone switching them off?

 

[JimD]

Modern petrol cars in good condition don't make a lot of noise at low speeds either (though they do when accelerating) - have a listen next time you're on the street.

 

[pjmmk]

Load of rubbish in my opinion. I can hear EV's long before they reach me so it's a foregone conclusion that any blind person will also hear the things. Unless they're driving on glass, you can hear the noise from the tyres a long way away even when they're creeping around a car park. This strikes me as another of those things politicians like to get involved in to appease someone offering them a vote. The LEAF I had allowed you to turn that stupid noise off, don't suppose that's allowed any more.

 

[Ian Key]

Load of rubbish in my opinion. I can hear EV's long before they reach me so it's a foregone conclusion that any blind person will also hear the things. Unless they're driving on glass, you can hear the noise from the tyres a long way away even when they're creeping around a car park. This strikes me as another of those things politicians like to get involved in to appease someone offering them a vote. The LEAF I had allowed you to turn that stupid noise off, don't suppose that's allowed any more.

I'm glad you have good hearing. Many OAPs don't and many younger people are otherwise engaged.

We have been conditioned that a certain noise means there is a vehicle near by and as yet the noise EVs make haven't entered into that conditioned state.

 

[Matt x power]

Quite a few people have nearly walked out in front of me even with the sounder on at low speed

 

[pjmmk]

Well, there's not much you can do about 'younger people' listening to music with their heads buried in a mobile phone. They walk straight across roads without looking, right in front of all sorts of vehicles.
Pensioners tend to have enough common sense to look first.

IMO, what we're doing with this mountain of petty legislation is allowing people to be stupid.

 

[Flightengineer]

My second e-car Fiat 500E play short music when transpassing 24 km/h

 

[Edd Beesley]

I'd noticed mine makes a noise in reverse but doesn't seem to make one in drive.

 

[Robf]

Hows about electric cars are mostly driven around towns where accidents will happen with pedestrians whereas ice are still more used for those that do motorway miles where there are few pedestrians (but a lot more miles). Also not sure about electric cars being mostly driven by youngsters, my expereience is opposite. In these studies it is always wise to start with the presumption that professors are numpties.

 

[JimD]

"But a difficulty in hearing electric cars is not the only problem. Electric cars tend to have swift acceleration and are usually much heavier, with some weighing twice their petrol equivalent, making stopping distances longer. “If the government is planning to promote a transition to electric cars, then that will bring some risk to pedestrians unless we take care of this,” said Edwards."

The question I'd like an answer to is who funded this report.

EDIT: to answer my own question -

• Funding This study was conducted in part fulfilment of the Masters degree in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The second author was self-funded for her studies for this degree.

 

[Rolfe]

Anyone who is relying on pedestrians to hear their car's engine and jump out of the way is doing it wrong.

 

[MEH]

Its not only electric cars that carry warnings

 

[pjmmk]

Heh. The 'rot' set in when that American woman sued MacDonalds (think it was them) for not telling her that a hot coffee was hot. Then everyone panicked and started putting the most ridiculous warnings on things. I love the warning on a pack of peanuts telling you that it might contain nuts.

 

[mg4mc]

Only "may", never know what you are buying nowadays! ?

 

[OriginalBigAl]

I can't say I have heard my pedestrian alert sounder working and by the reactions of shoppers walking across my path in car parks neither have they. It seems a bit rude to bip the horn so you just have to wait and hope they sense you lurking. Try to remember you are in an EV and not to "rev the engine" with the clutch in, as a reminder of your presence; it won't end well!

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Heh. The 'rot' set in when that American woman sued MacDonalds (think it was them) for not telling her that a hot coffee was hot. Then everyone panicked and started putting the most ridiculous warnings on things. I love the warning on a pack of peanuts telling you that it might contain nuts.

The funniest one I heard was that a US motorhome manufacturer was legally required to state in the user manual that "cruise control" didn't work the steering, after they were sued by a new owner who started their big road trip and then went in the back to make a coffee.

 

[pjmmk]

The funniest one I heard was that a US motorhome manufacturer was legally required to state in the user manual that "cruise control" didn't work the steering, after they were sued by a new owner who started their big road trip and then went in the back to make a coffee.

Frightening isn't it?