[nfb-talk] Fw: [Quietcars] urgent problem, distant research

Mon Oct 22 12:16:53 CDT 2007

Dear All on these list.

I want to make you aware of this growing problem and begin enlisting your 
aid and assistance in beginning to meet this problem head on.  Please read 
all of the messages in this string and consider its impact.
We must begin to bring this situation to the attention of our state and 
federal legislators and to begin letting the auto manufacturers know about 
our concerns.
If we don't, we will be burying some of our friends and family members or be 
forced to take care of them in their new disabilities.
We can make a difference here, and we need to do it now, not after a number 
of blind people have been cut down in the cross walk.  We can't wait until 
the 7 year old next door is a spinal cord injury.
We can't wait until our aunt or grandma, who is losing her hearing and 
sharpness is struck and either in a nursing home or a coffin because we 
waited for someone else to do something.
We can't wait until our brother or sister, who is walking threw a parking 
lot, talking on their cell phone or busy thinking about the shoes they just 
saw in the store are struck by a silent car they never heard coming.
We must get the manufacturers to even acknowledge the problem.  They , and 
the insurance companies, were all invited to the "Quiet Cars" Conference in 
Baltimore last November and chose not to attend.  They just hope that we 
will forget it and go away, but we can't.  We face a life and death decision 
every time we must cross a street or walk threw a parking lot.
We can not hide and hope these cars will go away, they won't.
Being a Alabama boy and coming from a family that grew up on farms.  I 
learned that when you are forced to deal with a jackass, a two by four 
applied squarely between the eyes is sometime the only way to get their 
attention and show them you aren't kidding.
We may need to apply a version of this method to the auto manufacturers to 
get their attention.
We don't want to hurt the auto manufacturers, just get their attention and 
their cooperation in fixing something before we have a long list of people 
who have been hurt by their product.
We don't thing that the solution will cost much and we are not calling for 
the re-call of all hybrid electric cars.  We want clean air to breathe and 
less pollution too.
Until the manufacturers acknowledge and agree to do something about this 
problem, we must not be silent.
We must ask our legislators to help us in solving this problem and I don't 
mean by studying it to death.
I ask you to begin a write in campaign to get support and bring attention to 
this problem.

David Evans, NFBF
Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer
Builder of the Lunar Rovers and the F-117-A Stealth Fighter

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Stewart" <cclvi at yahoo.com>
To: <quietcars at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 2:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] urgent problem, distant research

> This post reads like insiders talking to insiders.
> What is TOPS?  What is TCRP, and what is meant by it
> wanting to get comments from "the industry"?  And, is
> this TRB committee in touch with the TRBPedestrian
> Committee, which committee has been responsive to my
> input and concluded, I understand, quiet cars are an
> immediate danger to a wider array of pedestrian
> groups?  I am impatient about academic efforts focused
> on seeking 2008 federal funding for 2009 research to
> conclude in 2010 what we already know!  How about
> someone go out tomorrow and put a loose wing nut in
> each hubcap, and drive around the block.  The noise
> while cruising will not be negative noise pollution,
> and when it slows down near pedestrians, the sound
> will be like roulette wheels coming to a stop.
> I agree with David and others.. we should ask local
> and state legislators to make operating a motor
> vehicle silently just as illegal as driving at night
> without headlights.  And, we must insist on better
> accident reporting to capture what is already
> happening on our streets.  And, encourage insurance
> companies to raise premiums on vehicles more likely to
> be involved in pedestrian conflicts, and, pressure all
> governmental entities to refuse to place purchase
> orders for any vehicle (transit bus, Commissioner's
> sedan, or squad car)  that lacks an audible aspect,
> and, prohibit hybrid taxis on the streets without an
> audible aspect,  etc..
> --- Janet Barlow <jmbarlow at accessforblind.org> wrote:
>
>> The forwarded message copied below my signature
>> might be of interest
>> to individuals on this list.  The problem statement
>> on Quiet Cars is #5.
>> Janet Barlow
>>
>> Dear TRB Committee Members and Friends,
>>
>> Two of the full research statements that were
>> developed by TRB
>> Accessible Transportation and Mobility Committee
>> members and friends
>> have made it through the TOPS review process and are
>> being considered
>> for funding in 2008.  They are:
>>
>> "Quiet Cars: Threats to Safe Travel for Blind
>> Pedestrians"
>> "A Handbook for Lighting in Transit and Pedestrian
>> Environments"
>>
>> TCRP is requesting comments from the industry on
>> these and other
>> possible research topics.  Comments need to be
>> submitted to tcrp at nas.edu
>> by next Wednesday, October 17.  The call for
>> comments as well as the
>> full list of research topics being considered (and
>> the full text of
>> these and other topics) can be found at
>> www.trb.org/NotesDocs/2008TCRPProblems.pdf.
>>
>> I would encourage each of you to indicate your
>> support for these
>> research topics.  It is important that we continue
>> to keep accessibility
>> and mobility issues on the TRB agenda.  I would also
>> encourage you to
>> send this e-mail to any other organizations or
>> individuals who you think
>> may have an interest in seeing research on these
>> issues conducted.
>>
>> Thanks for your help,
>> Russell Thatcher
>> Research Subcommittee Co-Chair
>> rhthatcher at transystems.com
>>
>>
>> At 02:08 PM 10/10/2007, David Evans wrote:
>>
>> >Dear All,
>> >
>> >This piece clearly demonstrates the danger that
>> Blind and even sighted
>> >people face from Quiet Cars.
>> >  The group advocating that all that is needed is
>> greater awareness on the
>> >part of drivers of such vehicles and the Blind
>> taking greater steps to hear
>> >something that can not be heard, are trying to
>> ignore the elephant in the
>> >room.
>> >We, as Blind pedestrians know full well just how
>> little attention and
>> >respect drivers show our White Canes and Guide Dogs
>> which is  zip.
>> >I have experienced these Quiet Cars for myself and
>> know 3 friends who own
>> >them.
>> >The only sound that the Toyoda Preus makes, that a
>> Blind person can hear, is
>> >the crunching noise that comes as you and your
>> white cane or guide dog slide
>> >underneath the bottom of its chasses.
>> >The motor is not only almost soundless, but they
>> sport low friction, run
>> >quiet tires for less rolling friction and gas
>> mileage.
>> >There is nothing , on the part of the Blind person,
>> that can be done, at
>> >this point, to be able to detect the approach of
>> such vehicles at any speed
>> >or distance.
>> >The need for a correction is completely on the car
>> manufacturers to build in
>> >something the Blind and the sighted, can pick up on
>> auditorily to detect and
>> >avoid such vehicles.
>> >This is why setting some kind of standard for
>> vehicle noise levels must be
>> >studied and set for the safety of all.
>> >If manufacturers can be sued for making defective
>> and dangerous devices that
>> >hold and present a clear and present danger to
>> people, then they should and
>> >can be sued to have that product withdrawn,
>> modified or changed to render it
>> >safe.
>> >We are withdrawing millions of Chinese items from
>> the shelves of stores
>> >because they are painted with lead base paint.  Is
>> this issue no different?
>> >Can we look at any item and clearly determine if
>> the product is painted with
>> >lead paint and therefore dangerous to humans?
>> Who's job is it to make sure
>> >that a item is safe for the consumer?
>> >I think that we can all see the benefits of a
>> hybrid electric car and the
>> >blessings that is can have on our environment.
>> >Heck, I helped to develop some the first ones back
>> in the late 1960's and
>> >70's.
>> >I helped engineer and construct the first cars to
>> go to the Moon in 1971 and
>> >72.  They were electric.
>> >We must find ways to demonstrate to our legislators
>> and the manufacturers
>> >that this danger is real and is going to grow and
>> they need to do something
>> >about it now.
>> >I don't want my tombstone to read, "He Never Heard
>> It Coming.
>> >I have been hit twice by hit and run drivers, who
>> were never caught, and I
>> >don't want to find out if the third time is the
>> charm.
>> >"
>> >
>> >David Evans, NFBF
>> >Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer
>> >Builder of the Lunar Rovers and the F-117-A Stealth
>> Fighter
>> >.
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: "Nightingale, Noel" <Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov>
>> >To: <quietcars at nfbnet.org>
>> >Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:31 PM
>> >Subject: [Quietcars] FW: [nfbwatlk] Fw: [acb-l] car
>> sounda
>> >
>> >
>> > > Information about how to hear a hybrid car is
>> below
>> > >
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> > > On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
>> > > Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 9:25 AM
>> > > To: nfbw
>> > > Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fw: [acb-l] car sounda
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > From: "Terrie Arnold" <tanderson3 at kc.rr.com>
>> > > To: "PETER POLIEY JR"
>> <blackbelt48 at earthlink.net>; "JOHN VANDERVORT"
>> > > <justsimplyjohn at hotmail.com>; "peg hall"
>> <mhall1221 at comcast.net>;
>> > > <acb-l at acb.org>; "MCB List" <missouri-l at acb.org>
>> > > Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 8:03 AM
>> > > Subject: [acb-l] car sounda
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _____
>> > >
>> > > From: Orientation and Mobility
>> [mailto:OANDM at LIST.MSU.EDU] On Behalf Of
>> > > GENE BOURQUIN
>> > > Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 4:21 PM
>> > > To: OANDM at LIST.MSU.EDU
>> > > Subject: car sounda
>> > >
>> > > To hear regular and hybrid car sound, listen to
>> this NPR broadcast
>> > > piece.
>> > >
>> > >
>>
> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7555520
>> > >
>> > > There is a "listen" button at the site.
>> > >
>> > > metta . . .Gene
>> > > _______________________________________
>> > >
>> > > Eugene A. Bourquin, MA, COMS, CI & CT, CLVT
>> > >
>> > > visit:
>>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4yqfa/bourquinconsulting/
>> > >
>> > > 212 749-9438
>> > > 917 613-5499 (mobile)
>> > > 516 944-8900 ext. 284 (Tuesday, Thursday,
>> Friday)
>> > >
>>
> === message truncated ===
>
>
>
>
> 
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