New Rule Will Require Hybrids, EVs to Emit Sounds for Pedestrians

By 2019, all new hybrid and electric vehicles will be required to emit sounds alerting pedestrians of their presence. U.S. regulators estimate the new rule will prevent about 2,400 pedestrian injuries each year after it goes into effect.

Under the federal regulation, hybrids and EVs weighing below 10,000 pounds must make audible noises when traveling at speeds up to 19 mph. At higher speeds, tire noise and wind noise should be loud enough to alert pedestrians of nearby cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

Although the law doesn’t take full effect until September 1, 2019, regulators will phase it in slowly a year before that deadline. At that time, NHTSA will require half of all new hybrid and electric vehicles to produce the audible warnings.

“This is a common-sense tool to help pedestrians—especially folks who are blind or have low vision—make their way safely,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, in a statement.

Pedestrian deaths rose sharply in 2015 to their highest levels since 1996. Compared to 2014, NHTSA reported an additional 466 pedestrian deaths, a 9.5-percent increase. Overall, motor vehicle crashes were up 7.2 percent last year.

The new rule comes as a response to the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 passed by Congress. In 2013, NHTSA proposed a set of standards for the act.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

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