1026 East 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Phone: (410) 235-3073
Email: president@nfbmd.org
Extension of the Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force
The Problem
Measures must be taken to prevent injuries or fatalities to all pedestrians caused by fuel-efficient vehicles whose approaches cannot be heard!
Proposed Action
The Maryland General Assembly should implement the recommendation of the Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force to extend its study period to December 31, 2010.
The Reasons for This Request
The Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force was established in 2008 with a deadline of December 31, 2008. Due to the complexity of the problem, the task force determined that it needed additional time for its study. It is appropriate for the task force to complete its work by the end of 2010 because the Clean Cars Act, which will increase the number of quiet vehicles on Maryland’s streets and highways, will go into effect in 2011.
In its report to the Maryland General Assembly, the task force recommended the extension so that it can:
- “Oversee and coordinate with government (federal and state) and industry efforts to ensure satisfactory progress towards adopting a minimum sound level and the nature and characteristics of that sound level for all new vehicles sold;
- Conduct an evaluation of existing and anticipated technology to determine the appropriateness of adopting a system to be installed on state and local government purchased vehicles; and
- Identify potential technologies for evaluation, install those technologies on an appropriate number of state-owned vehicles, and to evaluate the efficacy of these technologies.”
The task force also recommended that a member from the House of Delegates and a member from the Senate be added to the task force membership. To maintain continuity of effort, the original members of the task force should continue to serve. The members of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland support the recommendations of the Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force and urge the Maryland General Assembly to extend its existence to the end of 2010.
Background
With the deterioration of air quality caused by the pollution from vehicular traffic, and with the upward spiral of the price of gasoline, the general public is beginning to demand cleaner burning and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Car companies have responded to these demands by offering gasoline and electric hybrids or totally electric vehicles.
State governments have also responded to concerns by requiring vehicles to meet stricter emission and efficiency standards. In 2007, Maryland enacted a Clean Cars Law. This law requires a percentage of the vehicles sold in Maryland by 2011 to consist of vehicles that produce lower emissions. Consequently there will be an increase in the number of hybrid vehicles and other vehicles using technologies other than the gasoline internal combustion engine on the public streets of Maryland.
Until recently, independent travel for the blind has been a relatively straightforward matter. Once blind persons have been trained to use a white cane or a guide dog, they negotiate their way through traffic by listening to the sounds of automobile engines to determine the direction, speed and pattern of traffic. Traffic sound tell blind pedestrians how many vehicles are near them and how fast they are moving; whether the vehicles are accelerating or decelerating; and if the vehicles are traveling toward, away from, or parallel to them. With all of this information, blind persons can accurately determine when it is safe for them to proceed into an intersection, or across a driveway, or through a parking lot. The information obtained from listening to traffic sounds allows blind persons to travel safely with complete confidence and without assistance.
When operating on electric power, hybrid vehicles cannot be heard by blind or sighted persons. Blind pedestrians must be able to hear vehicular traffic. Other pedestrians, especially children, senior citizens and runners, as well as bicyclists also benefit from hearing traffic. Because they run so quietly, hybrid and other electric vehicles are extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity. Pedestrian injuries and fatalities will surely occur if Maryland fails to take immediate action to ensure that pedestrians can hear hybrids and other silent vehicles in all phases of their operation.
Industry is currently developing sound producing technologies that can be added to quiet vehicles. These after market solutions hold great promise to solving the quiet vehicle problem. Maryland can begin to prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities by requiring quiet vehicles purchased by state and local government to emit a minimum sound level that will alert all pedestrians, especially blind pedestrians, to their presence. This will be a good stepping-stone to a requirement for all quiet vehicles to emit a minimum sound standard.
Conclusion
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland commends and supports Maryland’s commitment to the environment as demonstrated by the passage of the Clean Cars Law. Maryland must also ensure that its streets and roads are safe and navigable by pedestrians. To this end, the Maryland Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety Task Force should be extended to December 31, 2010. Maryland should further demonstrate leadership in solving this problem by requiring quiet vehicles purchased by state and local governments to emit a minimum sound level. A requirement for a minimum sound standard that all quiet vehicles must emit remains the long-term solution to the problem posed by quiet vehicles to all pedestrians.