Hybrids good for environment, but not for the blind

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WASHINGTON -- The sound of the stopped car's combustible engine purrs at the four-lane intersection in Baltimore. This is Devon Jones's cue that all is clear to cross.As Jones describes it, that's when her white, metal-tipped cane raps across the cement of the intersection as she walks to school at the Blind Industries and Services of Maryland. With failed vision since birth, Jones, 25, a student, relies on her other senses to steer her through traffic.But the new silent-running, hybrid car technology, while better for the environment, adds more difficulty to those who rely on sounds as cues for safely navigating the world The virtual quietness of hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, can fool pedestrians who think it is safe to cross. "As a blind traveler, in order for me to know how to navigate the streets, I need to know which way the cars are going," Jones said. Now, she can't always trust her ears, she said.Some members of Congress are trying to restore her faith.Reps. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., and Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., introduced the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 at an April 9 news conference.The bill would require the U.S. secretary of transportation to establish practical safety standards for hybrids and other cars that make little noise, including requiring some sort of audible sound to alert blind pedestrians and others in their paths.The transportation department would be required to conduct a two-year study before setting any safety standards. Automobile makers would then have two years to comply."We must consider the potential threat to safety that silent cars pose to blind pedestrians. They must listen to traffic to discern its speed," Towns said.Stearns said hearing the sound of a vehicle's engine also would benefit others, including bicyclists, runners, children and the elderly."Often in Washington, you have an issue you think is tailored for a particular group, and then you realize it can impact all Americans. This is such a bill," Stearns said. By switching between a gasoline engine and an electric motor, hybrids provide better mileage and less pollution. But when the car runs on its electric battery, the engine is almost silent.Stearns said he was wary of legislation to protect pedestrians until a car backing out of a parking spot nearly hit him and his wife as they walked by.Marc Maurer, president of the Baltimore-based National Federation for the Blind, said he knew of no pedestrian injuries or deaths caused by silent hybrids.But he said it is a looming threat. The National Federation for the Blind has been pushing for the federal government's attention to raise awareness of accidents hybrid cars pose. Hybrid car technology is more than a fad. With rising energy prices and the move to decrease carbon emissions, Towns said more consumers will choose to drive greener cars. According to R.L. Polk and Co., an automobile information and marketing company, 414,396 hybrid cars were registered worldwide last year.Towns said automobile makers have told him they are hesitant to install noisemakers on their cars because of the added cost. He said their resistance does not surprise him. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade association for carmakers, has heard about the bill, but doesn't have a formal opinion yet, said Charles Terriot, director of communications.In a statement, Terriot said safety is the alliance's highest priority. He said the group will work with organizations for the blind and policymakers to address the issue, but the alliance will have to consider the public's concerns with noise pollution, as well.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)