Better check out this video re: quiet hybrids!

[Mr. Toyota]

Not sure if this has already been posted somewhere...I think it's pretty recent. Food for thought...(wait for commercial to end).
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/...th.hybrid.kare

[toutsuite]

Wow, they really slandered the driver in that piece. Even though making it clear at the beginning it wasn't him who hit the boy (the reporter says, "hit by a different car"), later when he's talking they put the graphic, "Ron Brunke, Hit Boy with Hybrid" under him. Hopefully they'll apologize to him, but I doubt it.

[chiefrcd]

Noise emmiter....next, flashing lights for the deaf, waving flags for the short and curb feelers for the tall.....now, I surely don't want to see anyone, especially a child get hurt, but only in America would we address the issue from the back side. Teaching our children the proper methods and responsibilities of riding goes a lot farther than federal legisation to add a noise emmiter to a hybrid.

[Mr. Toyota]

Nobody wants to see kids get hit by cars, but many cars (not just hybrids) are virtually silent when coasting or very light throttle-as in slowly driving down a residential street-so maybe all cars should have "noise emitters" just to play it safe!
Or maybe our "nanny" govt. could just ban bikes altogether to avoid these unfortunate incidents.
Incredible...

Originally Posted by chiefrcd

Noise emmiter....next, flashing lights for the deaf, waving flags for the short and curb feelers for the tall.....now, I surely don't want to see anyone, especially a child get hurt, but only in America would we address the issue from the back side. Teaching our children the proper methods and responsibilities of riding goes a lot farther than federal legisation to add a noise emmiter to a hybrid.

[skidmike]

Just my opinion, but the answer here isn't to kid-proof the word, it's to world-proof the kid.

By the same token, why can't blind people use some sort of infrared sensor to warn them of a large heat source that's moving toward them?

-- mike

[Tideland Prius]

See.. that's why they should get rid of the "Please avoid engine braking. Quiet neighbourhood" signs!! haha. j/k.

[razol]

Hmm, when I was a kid, I was taught look both ways when crossing the street. Maybe it is not a bad thing these people get hit, Darwinism.

As far as blind people, generally as a driver I would notice and take caution of someone with a white cane crossing the road. They are not likely to jump out suddenly like a kid who just is not paying attention. If the car is traveling at a normal residential speed, stopping should not be an issue.