[sustran] Japan rethinks silent hybrid cars

[Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory]

  (Sustran readers: Forgive this posting about hybrids, I am posting 
this because of the comments from Toyota, in relation to Jakarta where 
Toyota is king and disabled people have to carry signs and dont have 
accessibility-infrastructure... this is already a social concern)

- T

***


BBC NEWS
* Japan rethinks silent hybrid cars*

*Japan is considering the introduction of noise-making devices for 
near-silent hybrid cars following safety fears from vision-impaired 
pedestrians. *

"Vision-impaired people feel that hybrid vehicles are dangerous", a 
transport ministry official told AFP.

The top-selling hybrid vehicles run almost without any sound when they 
change from fuel to battery mode.

The ministry of transport has brought together a panel that will draw up 
a report by the end of the year.

The panel is considering forcing manufacturers of hybrid cars to 
introduce a sound-making function that alerts passersby to the presence 
of a vehicle.

"Blind people depend on sounds when they walk, but there are no engine 
sounds from hybrid vehicles when running at low speed," the transport 
ministry official said.

The world's most popular hybrid, the Prius, was launched by Toyota in 1997.

Paul Nolasco, a spokesman for Toyota Motor in Tokyo, told the BBC it had 
no immediate plans to add noise-making devices to the hybrid vehicles.

"But if it becomes a social concern, it is something we will have to 
address", Mr Nolasco added.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8132548.stm

Published: 2009/07/03 11:01:56 GMT

© BBC MMIX

-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Green Idea Factory

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Germany

Skype: toddedelman
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CAR is over. If you want it.

"Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" 
- B. Brecht (with slight modification)

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