Comments on: Hybrids Hit More Pedestrians – Time For Some Regs?

By: Jeremy the Evil Scientist

Jeremy the Evil Scientist — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:41:32 +0000

I also tell my kids to LOOK before stepping into ANY roadway. When I got my motorcycle lic. the FIRST rule was: All other vehicles are being piloted by blind morons. I have missed many acccidents following that rule.

By: Jeremy the Evil Scientist

Jeremy the Evil Scientist — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:39:27 +0000

And when a truck hits you you are good and hit. No slopey hoods and low bumpers. Just a flat slab of death with a big block behind it. I LOVE DRIVING A TRUCK!

By: TXTee

TXTee — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:30:22 +0000

Disclaimer: I’m on my soap box today b/c I don’t want to be in the office……I see adding that “beep” as a reason for drivers to say the pedestrian they hit was “warned.” As with all safety features, us lazy humans tend to get comfy with it and forget we’re supposed to be the responsible commander of vehicle. Maybe pedestrians in PriusLand aka California need to start paying more attention period. They love to step off that d@mn curb out here with all their “liberal rights” and I have to remind myself I’m not in TX anymore where people know good and well having the right of way doesn’t mean anything when that object is much larger than you and more than likely a good ol pick up!

By: mk

mk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:23:01 +0000

My kids are more than capable and intelligent and not wild like some kids I have seen are of walking in a parking lot not holding their hands like a little baby being now 8 and 11. Even when they were 4-5, they did not need their hands held like a 2-3 year old should. All I am saying is a little noise on any vehicle out there is needed to warn others including adults that a car is backing up in a parking lot, for example, because as we all know, adults as well as kids are not always looking around all the time and a car running noise would prevent possible death or serious injury.

By: TXTee

TXTee — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:01:53 +0000

Wrong @ kids. It’s called parent holding their hand and paying attention, especially if walking in a parking lot. Children are not wild deer…even though some of them appear to be the way they sprint through parking lots/garages. As Jason said, can’t prevent them from being kids so you have to be the parent. The sound of the car isn’t what gets attention only. I’m sorry but a massive block of metal is more than enough reason to pay attention to whether it’s going to move or not.

By: Admin (Jason)

Admin (Jason) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:43:01 +0000

Jeremy – LOL – you make a compelling case for the Jaws theme. Maybe we can team up and sell them on eBay?

By: Admin (Jason)

Admin (Jason) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:41:35 +0000

mk – Great point about texting/talking and driving – yet another example of something that is more important than this issue. I think you and Mickey are both right about kids. Adding a noisemaker to the Prius would likely prevent some incidents sometimes, but it certainly wouldn’t be enough to prevent kids from being kids.

By: mk

mk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:37:32 +0000

I’m just saying if they heard it they might be able to get out of the way since we all know kids do not always look around and pay attention to their surroundings as much as adults. You can hear a car run vs. totally silent prius in a parking lot and that ONE time the noise could help save a life. I even experienced a prius in a walmart parking lot backing up and I can honestly say that people being people, do NOT visually look around while walking and could easily see how pedestrians could be run over by a backing out prius. A lot of people that I see around who buy these prius cars are either older or lack some basic driving skills, but I guess that can be said of a lot of people in cars nowadays. The one thing I would love to see banned and it is a comin’ soon is texting while driving or even the fricking cell phone users. There is not 1 day that goes by that I do not see a driver talking on their cell phone unaware of their surroundings and I have to HONK that mighty tundra horn behind them from a green stop light to get their ass moving. Air horns are on my wish list on both my tundra and Honda Valkyrie cycle.

By: Mickey

Mickey — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:24:07 +0000

Come on mk kids will do the same if noise was evident. They will run out in front of a combustable engine as well as an electric one.

By: mk

mk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:01:08 +0000

None of you must have young kids that do NOT pay attention all the time walking in a parking lot. It would be so easy for a Prius to back up and hit a kid not paying attention and not looking around. Kids are also smaller in height so they are more difficult to see and a little bit of engine noise might make a difference in saving a life. Kids sometimes react better to hearing than sight, especially if not paying attention. I’m not saying a beep, beep, beep noise like a delivery truck going into reverse, but at least a sound like a radiator fan running or something would be nice to be able to know a car is near you. What about if a electric car backed up into you while walking away from it? You would not even know what hit you since you do not have eyes behind your head.