The Arizona State Legislature is considering a bill that would require car makers to make hybrid cars louder. The motive behind the bill is to make the streets safe for the visually impaired, but critics of the law say that it is foolish to pass a bill requiring a vehicle to add noise to streets that are already loud and raucous.

House Bill 2780 was introduced to the legislature by State Representative Ed Ableser, a democrat from Tempe. Twenty two other democrats signed the bill before it was introduced. According to activists for the visually impaired, many blind people can not hear hybrid vehicles as the approach in electric mode. “Hybrid cars are amazing, and I think one of the unintended consequences of this new technology is that it is so effective in reducing noise on the streets. The fear is that our blind citizens are in danger crossing the road,” said Ableser when asked about the bill. “This bill is to encourage the auto industry to step up and address these issues more quickly than they are now.”

A House committee has already passed the bill that would require all vehicles sold in the state of Arizona to meet a “minimum sound standard.” The National Federation for the Blind has endorsed the bill and has expressed support for similar measures in Hawaii, Virginia and Maryland.

There have been no reports of any injuries or fatalities sustained by blind people as a result of quiet hybrids, but activists are concerned that as more hybrids hit the streets, it is only a matter of time before an accident occurs. “We know that there have been a lot of close calls,” said Chris Danielsen, the federation spokesman who is blind himself. “We would like action to be taken before there’s actually an injury or, heaven forbid, a death from this.”

The federation and other activists say they are just trying to keep the blind safe an point out that the law would also help to keep cyclists and children safe as well.

Critics of the new law say that the lack of noise from hybrid cars is a good thing. They also maintain that because hybrid cars are so new, that it will take society time to adjust, but that society will learn to live with them.

Opponents of the law believe that people will eventually learn to look for vehicles instead of just listening to sounds and that blind people will adapt their resources as well. The Wall Street Journal reports that guide dogs for the blind are being trained to recognize the quieter sound of hybrids when they help the blind cross the street. “I’m kind of mystified about this bill,” Bob Robson, the republican House speaker pro tempore said. “This bill would be the ruination of the auto industry in Arizona. The financial impact is enormous for the state.” The bill was sent to the House after it was passed by the committee, but it was stuck with a “Do Not Pass” recommendation by Robson.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm and is filed under Hybrid Cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.