Electric cars could be hidden danger to the British public

For years now manufacturers have been trying to perfect the silent car and in their effort that have neglected to think what will happen when they do. New electric cars that are on the market are about the quietest you can find on the roads of Britain today. Now there is a potential problem that could arise from these silent vehicles–cyclists and pedestrians might fail to hear them and make an error of judgment and get involved with an accident. Most cyclists and pedestrians are good at looking for danger as well as hearing it, but there is a minority that does not rely on their eyes, just their ears who could come a cropper.

The danger has come to light so much in recent months that Lord Low of Dalston has asked the UK Government what assessment they have made of silent cars and the danger they could have to pedestrians and cyclists. Similar situations have already arisen in America and Japan where electric cars can be found in their masses. The main concern for many is that when an electric vehicle moves from a standing position as there will be hardly any audible noise and blind people as well as children and others might be forgiven for not noticing.

Lotus and Harman have been working on a noise that could be added to an electric car so the public would be aware of its approach. Their HALOsonic system used special effects to create a car that sounded like it was from the future with lots of whooshing and whirring down the streets. However legislation looks like we will not be able to have these great sounds, instead we’ll have to do with the mundane combustion engine sound, but it will never sound like the exhaust is blowing or the spark plugs need changing.