Electric cars up to 3x likelier to hit pedestrians than ICE

[M4cruiser]

Red9zero said:

Maybe electric cars need noisier tyres ?

They already do have noisier tyres because they're heavier and cause more damag************ oops, here we go again, sorry.

[otolith]

DonkeyApple said:

It's what makes public transport so superb. You never fail to arrive somewhere not appreciating that life could always be worse. The secret is to just never sit or touch anything.

The kid is a bit of a germophobe, and changes out of his uniform the instant he gets home from school - because he’s been sitting on the bus and he doesn’t want to contaminate his room

[Tomo1971]

As a recent EV driver, I am conscious that pedestrians may not hear me and drive accordingly.

However, it also does highlight the fact that many pedestrians are so used to just listening for oncoming vehicles and just dont pay attention with their eyes.

[TheDeuce]

Tomo1971 said:

As a recent EV driver, I am conscious that pedestrians may not hear me and drive accordingly.

However, it also does highlight the fact that many pedestrians are so used to just listening for oncoming vehicles and just dont pay attention with their eyes.

This is the thing that's always overlooked!

Pedestrians can't hear an EV as well as an ICE car.

But EV drivers know that, so we're always on the lookout for muppet pedestrians staring at their phone as they wander out into the road

It's actually quite good fun on occasion. There's a car park near me and I sometimes get to around 20 seconds of rolling behind some tourists before one of them notices that, amazingly, car parks have cars moving around sometimes. To be clear, this isn't a dangerous pass time, just a casually amusing one

[cerb4.5lee]

TheDeuce said:

This is the thing that's always overlooked!

Pedestrians can't hear an EV as well as an ICE car.

But EV drivers know that, so we're always on the lookout for muppet pedestrians staring at their phone as they wander out into the road

It's actually quite good fun on occasion. There's a car park near me and I sometimes get to around 20 seconds of rolling behind some tourists before one of them notices that, amazingly, car parks have cars moving around sometimes. To be clear, this isn't a dangerous pass time, just a casually amusing one

[Oilchange]

I think the important thing to remember is that childrens sense of judging speed isn't fully developed until they are in their early teens, so silent cars are going to be a greater risk to them. I hope the people who play games creeping up on pedestrians realise this.

[TheDeuce]

Oilchange said:

I think the important thing to remember is that childrens sense of judging speed isn't fully developed until they are in their early teens, so silent cars are going to be a greater risk to them. I hope the people who play games creeping up on pedestrians realise this.

From the pov of 'creeping up', obviously the driver in question is aware of the pedestrians, whatever age they may be.

I made a slightly flippant remark, an attempt at humour... But I'm not actually creeping up on anyone, it just so happens that I often find myself rolling along behind a group of tourists that are having a lovely day out and are totally oblivious to my car being there. It's a funny situation as I know that eventually one of them will realise there's a large car trundling along a few feet behind them, it's an awkward moment tbh. But what am I supposed to do? If I beep the horn they'll jump and everyone will stare. I could stick my head out of the window and say 'excuse me' I suppose...

Or I could keep doing what I have been, just trundle along waiting for them to twig.

And in all circumstances when there's a possibility kids could be around, I see it as very much the responsibility of all drivers to assume they could do something unexpected and be ready to react.

[swisstoni]

My EV makes woo-woo noises and also something like dragging brakes. It’s certainly not silent.

It may even make more noise than ice at low/manoeuvring speed.

[TheDeuce]

swisstoni said:

My EV makes woo-woo noises and also something like dragging brakes. It’s certainly not silent.

It may even make more noise than ice at low/manoeuvring speed.

Indeed, some are more noticeable than others. My current i4 certainly seems to be more detectable than my old iPace, although to my ears I thought the iPace actually made the more obvious sound.

[Truckosaurus]

swisstoni said:

My EV makes woo-woo noises and also something like dragging brakes. It’s certainly not silent.

It may even make more noise than ice at low/manoeuvring speed.

Yep. Lots of EVs are louder than modern ICEs - not only on the fake noises, most are big cars that make a lot of tyre noise.

Even when I have owned offensively loud ICE cars you get many pedestrians wandering out in front of you without a care in the world.

The T-junction where my road joins the main road is only one lane wide and I'd say at least 50% of pedestrians won't look when they cross it.

[Jader1973]

All passenger vehicles that can run in electric mode (EVs, Hybrids, PHEVs) have to make a noise at low speeds. It’s called AVAS and is required for type approval.

Basically they have to be as noisy as an ICE below 20 km/h.

So nobody who owns one built after that was required (July 2019 for new models, or anything registered after July 2021) is creeping silently round a car park stalking tourists.

[TheDeuce]

Jader1973 said:

All passenger vehicles that can run in electric mode (EVs, Hybrids, PHEVs) have to make a noise at low speeds. It’s called AVAS and is required for type approval.

Basically they have to be as noisy as an ICE below 20 km/h.

So nobody who owns one built after that was required (July 2019 for new models, or anything registered after July 2021) is creeping silently round a car park stalking tourists.

I think we all know they're now required to make some sound, as do both of those I've owned.

But I can assure you people don't seem to notice them so much in the busy car park scenario.

I suspect this is because they go from stationary to moving without an engine starting or any sort of revving, or more specifically all the sorts of noise pedestrians have used for the last century to determine that a powered vehicle is in their midst.

Them making some random noise in a busy touristy car park, kids playing, drones flying etc, a car making a low level spaceship humm might technically be at the same volume as a low rpm engine, but it doesn't always get noticed in the same way.

[off_again]

Jader1973 said:

All passenger vehicles that can run in electric mode (EVs, Hybrids, PHEVs) have to make a noise at low speeds. It’s called AVAS and is required for type approval.

Basically they have to be as noisy as an ICE below 20 km/h.

So nobody who owns one built after that was required (July 2019 for new models, or anything registered after July 2021) is creeping silently round a car park stalking tourists.

I recently discovered that there are some enterprising individuals out there that will provide you with noise defeat gizmos! From removing the reversing noises that many EV's make to eliminating the running at below 20KMH noise, I have to question the morality and legality of it all. Pretty damn sure its not legal, but I am sure they get around it with some BS excuse loophole. But surely its a safety thing and we can all agree that its there for a reason? Even if its for sight restricted people only?

[TheDeuce]

off_again said:

Jader1973 said:

All passenger vehicles that can run in electric mode (EVs, Hybrids, PHEVs) have to make a noise at low speeds. It’s called AVAS and is required for type approval.

Basically they have to be as noisy as an ICE below 20 km/h.

So nobody who owns one built after that was required (July 2019 for new models, or anything registered after July 2021) is creeping silently round a car park stalking tourists.

I recently discovered that there are some enterprising individuals out there that will provide you with noise defeat gizmos! From removing the reversing noises that many EV's make to eliminating the running at below 20KMH noise, I have to question the morality and legality of it all. Pretty damn sure its not legal, but I am sure they get around it with some BS excuse loophole. But surely its a safety thing and we can all agree that its there for a reason? Even if its for sight restricted people only?

Yes it's a safety thing and is a good thing - it just doesn't always seem to work, I think purely because it's not the engine noise that many pedestrians are familiar with and subconsciously always listening out for.

Tbh I don't see any of this as a problem. Cars are changing, it'll take a while for some people to adapt to those changes, including the new sort of sounds that identify a car moving.

In the meantime time, as said many times on these threads, the drivers of EV's tend to be aware that not all pedestrians are.. aware.

[MrTrilby]

Jader1973 said:

All passenger vehicles that can run in electric mode (EVs, Hybrids, PHEVs) have to make a noise at low speeds. It’s called AVAS and is required for type approval.

Basically they have to be as noisy as an ICE below 20 km/h.

So nobody who owns one built after that was required (July 2019 for new models, or anything registered after July 2021) is creeping silently round a car park stalking tourists.

Are you sure this is correct. Our PHEV makes no noise at all in forwards. It make a weird warning sound only in reverse (sounds like a stone is stuck in a tyre, but it is generated noise).

Registered September 2023.

[Jader1973]

MrTrilby said:

Are you sure this is correct. Our PHEV makes no noise at all in forwards. It make a weird warning sound only in reverse (sounds like a stone is stuck in a tyre, but it is generated noise).

Registered September 2023.

It is UNR 138 and applies to anything that can be propelled backward or forwards without an ICE operating.

Having read it I think it actually specifies a minimum sound level, so AVAS isn’t needed if it already does that without the ICE running.

[TheRainMaker]

Jader1973 said:

All passenger vehicles that can run in electric mode (EVs, Hybrids, PHEVs) have to make a noise at low speeds. It’s called AVAS and is required for type approval.

Basically they have to be as noisy as an ICE below 20 km/h.

So nobody who owns one built after that was required (July 2019 for new models, or anything registered after July 2021) is creeping silently round a car park stalking tourists.

My 2021 December registered Polestar only makes a sound reversing, silent going forward.

[TheDeuce]

TheRainMaker said:

My 2021 December registered Polestar only makes a sound reversing, silent going forward.

Ger it fixed then, it should do: https://www.polestar.com/ie/polestar-2/safety-feat...

In reality you can't really hear it on the inside, even with the windows down - unless you drive very close to a solid wall with the windows down. It's barely perceptible with the car stationary, the sounds rises as the car starts to move, and more sharply with greater accelerator input to mirror an ICE rpm increase.

The power steering motor or AC compressor/fans in many EV's actually makes more noise.

[Road2Ruin]

swisstoni said:

My EV makes woo-woo noises and also something like dragging brakes. It’s certainly not silent.

It may even make more noise than ice at low/manoeuvring speed.

Our's does too. I actually find it quite annoying, but then I guess it's a good way to get people's attention. It's even worse in reverse, far more noise than a petrol car anyway.

[TheDeuce]

Road2Ruin said:

swisstoni said:

My EV makes woo-woo noises and also something like dragging brakes. It’s certainly not silent.

It may even make more noise than ice at low/manoeuvring speed.

Our's does too. I actually find it quite annoying, but then I guess it's a good way to get people's attention. It's even worse in reverse, far more noise than a petrol car anyway.

That's the bit that confuses me. I don't see why adding noise to an EV to replace engine noise, also means so many of them need to sound like an artic truck when reversing!?

Why is that suddenly a thing