OFF THE WIRE
If the NHTSA has its way, quiet motorcycles will be banned! To be
more specific, electric vehicles of all types, including two wheelers,
are frequently so quiet that they pose a safety risk to pedestrians at
low speeds. Here is how the NHTSA puts it:
Whether or not a vehicle can be easily detected by the sound it
makes is a product of vehicle type, vehicle speed, and ambient sound
level. Quieter vehicles, such as EVs and HVs, can reduce pedestrians’
ability to assess the state of nearby traffic and, as a result, can have
an impact on pedestrian safety. EVs and HVs may pose a safety problem
for pedestrians, in particular pedestrians who are blind or visually
impaired and who therefore rely on auditory cues from vehicles to
navigate. For these pedestrians, the primary safety issue arises when an
HV or EV operates quietly using its electric motor for propulsion at
low speeds. This is also the case when other auditory cues, such as the
noise from the vehicle’s tires and wind resistance, are less noticeable.
The irony of the government attempting to mandate more noise from
motorcycles is hard to overlook, but the low speed menace of electric
vehicles is real. You can read the NHTSA’s full analysis by opening this
PDF.
You can also listen to a sampling of recordings suggested by the NHTSA
for use on electric vehicles when traveling at low speeds
here. As usual, the Europeans are way out in front of us on this issue, as evidenced by the video below.
VIDEO
