US Car Safety Regulator Cancels The Use Of Sound For Electric Cars, Worried About Abuse

Tesla is an electric car that is very quiet. (photo; doc. pixabay)

Jakarta - The US auto safety regulator on Tuesday, July 12, scrapped a 2019 proposal that would have allowed automakers to offer a variety of sound options for electric vehicles and other "quiet cars."

Electric vehicles are often more difficult to hear at low speeds than gasoline-powered engines. Under rules mandated by Congress and finalized by NHTSA, automakers must add sound to hybrid and electric vehicles while traveling at speeds of up to 18.6 miles per hour (30 km per hour) to help prevent collisions between pedestrians, cyclists, and the blind.

NHTSA in 2019 proposed that automakers install a number of pedestrian warning sounds that drivers can choose from in "quiet cars."

The agency said on Tuesday that the proposal "wasn't adopted due to a lack of supporting data. ... Removing these restrictions would allow manufacturers to make a more muted voice that only appeals to a minority of (hybrid electric car) owners."

"At higher speeds, tire noise, wind resistance, and other factors eliminate the need for a separate warning sound," NHTSA said, cited from Reuters.

Tesla in February recalled 578.607 vehicles in the US because pedestrians may not be able to hear the required warning sound from approaching cars due to loud music or other sounds played by the "Boombox" feature.

Tesla says the "Boombox Function" allows sound to be played through external speakers while the vehicle is in motion and may obscure the required Pedestrian Alert System sound.

NHTSA projects the warning will prevent 2,400 crashes annually by 2020 and cost the auto industry an estimated $40 million a year as automakers need to add external waterproof speakers to comply. Benefit from injury reduction is estimated at 250 million to 320 million US dollars per year.

The agency estimates that a hybrid vehicle is 19% more likely to be involved in a pedestrian accident than a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle. Last year, the number of pedestrians killed jumped 13% to 7,342, the highest number since 1981. The number of cyclists killed rose 5% to 985, the highest number since at least 1975.