Totyota Prius Hits Child - Hybrids Are Too Quiet, Says Mom...

[Msterbeau]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/08/its-hap...-quiet-running/

[Oh_My_Goth]

Car hits child.....People are too unobservant & stupid says, this Mom

[Rev.Reverence]

I totally prophesied this happening...that people would eventually say "cars are too quiet"

I thought it would have more to do with people leaving their cars on and leaving them...hehe

[sass_in_the_pants]

I actually heard this complaint before, about the cars being too quiet.

The mom does have a point - you rely on your hearing as much as your sight when trying to determine if a situation is dangerous.

Though, when I heard the complaint the first time it was, quite rightfully, from the blind community. The car companies were talking about having the electric cars make an artificial 'car' noise.

[Rayne]

It's going to happen no matter HOW loud the car is ....

[Msterbeau]

It's going to happen no matter HOW loud the car is ....

Yup. And more to the point: Almost any new car built is pretty damn quiet. Most of the noise you hear is from wind and tires. They're just looking for excuses. The blind, on the other hand... I can see that there needs to be some remedy for them. But again... Most of the noise you hear comes from other sources..

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Actually, I think I read a few weeks ago that a group of blind people are pretty upset that nothign is on them that makes noise. Something about Blind people needing to hear cars coming...

[n0Mad]

We can put baseball cards in their spokes.

[Msterbeau]

We can put baseball cards in their spokes.

Brilliant!

[Msterbeau]

Actually, I think I read a few weeks ago that a group of blind people are pretty upset that nothign is on them that makes noise. Something about Blind people needing to hear cars coming...

They have an internal combustion engine just like every other car. It's only supplemented by an electric motor. Exhaust systems are that effective, if the manufacture wants them to be.

[TygerLili]

I can't get the link to work for some reason, but...jeez.

How about if people driving cars look where they're going and use the brakes before they hit children or blind people? And how about if parents keep a closer eye on their children and don't let then run in front of cars? We love to put the blame on anyone but ourselves.

If the cars too much made noise, people would complain about them disturbing the peace.

[Msterbeau]

I can't get the link to work for some reason, but...jeez.

How about if people driving cars look where they're going and use the brakes before they hit children or blind people? And how about if parents keep a closer eye on their children and don't let then run in front of cars? We love to put the blame on anyone but ourselves.

If the cars too much made noise, people would complain about them disturbing the peace.

People in cars need to be observant, I agree.... but I think we put too much emphasis on driver responsibility and not enough on pedestrians. It's a LOT easier to stop a 120lbs of person then it is to stop or turn a 3000lb car. People in cars have many blind spots, limited hearing.. etc. And kids are becoming more and more arrogant in how they treat the road... like it's their playground. Uh.. no.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

and their are all those pesky laws saying it's the driver's responsibility to not hit things with their car. Really need to get rid of those so we can go get our latte's and get to work without having to worry about people slowing us down.

[ttogreh]

msterbeau...

PEDESTRIANS ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR EXCUSE.

[Msterbeau]

and their are all those pesky laws saying it's the driver's responsibility to not hit things with their car. Really need to get rid of those so we can go get our latte's and get to work without having to worry about people slowing us down.

That's my point. Why is all the responsibility on the drivers? Everything basically says "if a car hits a pedestrian, it's the drivers fault." I'd be willing to bet a large percentage of car/people accidents were the pedestrians fault or could have been easily avoided with a little more attention/action on the pedestrian's part. There needs to be a balance of responsibilities. Laws should be changed to reflect that.

[Msterbeau]

msterbeau...

PEDESTRIANS ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR EXCUSE.

And they take advantage of it and cause more problems. See my post above.

[ttogreh]

Dude, there is an imbalance of law because there is an imbalance of power.

A child running full bore, maybe 15 miles an hour, at a parked car won't even dent it when the child slams into it. A car moving 20 miles an hour can and has KILLED children playing on residential streets.

You are a motor enthusiast. Your perspective could be affected because of this.

[Msterbeau]

Dude, there is an imbalance of law because there is an imbalance of power.

A child running full bore, maybe 15 miles an hour, at a parked car won't even dent it when the child slams into it. A car moving 20 miles an hour can and has KILLED children playing on residential streets.

You are a motor enthusiast. Your perspective could be affected because of this.

Actually. I see exactly the reverse of you. That child, because of it's low mass can stop in a few feet. The car, because of it's speed and mass takes much longer/farther. Yet, we place all the responsibility on the entity that is less able avoid a collision. It has nothing to do with dents and damage and everything to do with prevention of impact.

[EnViOuSPoPpEt]

Dude, there is an imbalance of law because there is an imbalance of power.

A child running full bore, maybe 15 miles an hour, at a parked car won't even dent it when the child slams into it. A car moving 20 miles an hour can and has KILLED children playing on residential streets.

A KID SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING STREET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OK!.. Especially the little punks that ride their bikes in the street. They are just asking to be run over by some blind geezer that will claim that she/he couldn't see them. That's what sidewalks are for. And if kids want to play there are backyards for that. Not in the middle of the D$%^ street. It's not Grand Theft Auto.. It's the real world, you do not come back alive after you have been ran over with a car.

I understand when people are passing yes I do stop to make sure I DON'T HIT them, but how can I prevent a crazed child/teenager/adult that just darts in front of my car so it can become roadkill? I can't magically say Abracadabra fly magic car.. it would still be my fault. Why should it. I didn't make that person jump in front of my car or followed them with my car so I can run them over. Why should I have to suffer for it..

[Hellion]

A KID SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING STREET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OK!.. Especially the little punks that ride their bikes in the street. They are just asking to be run over by some blind geezer that will claim that she/he couldn't see them. That's what sidewalks are for. And if kids want to play there are backyards for that. Not in the middle of the D$%^ street. It's not Grand Theft Auto.. It's the real world, you do not come back alive after you have been ran over with a car.

I understand when people are passing yes I do stop to make sure I DON'T HIT them, but how can I prevent a crazed child/teenager/adult that just darts in front of my car so it can become roadkill? I can't magically say Abracadabra fly magic car.. it would still be my fault. Why should it. I didn't make that person jump in front of my car or followed them with my car so I can run them over. Why should I have to suffer for it..

I see where your comming from...

IMO I think some of these morons want to get hit,what better way to get easy money from someone else(lawsuit)I see so many stupid people walking in the street,riding bycycles in the street,and even jogging,in the street,sidewalks have a use,WALK ON THEM, MORONS!!!.

Its similar to why some parents let their kids run all over the place in a grocery store,WTF!!

[Destroit]

A KID SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING STREET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OK!.. Especially the little punks that ride their bikes in the street. They are just asking to be run over by some blind geezer that will claim that she/he couldn't see them. That's what sidewalks are for. And if kids want to play there are backyards for that. Not in the middle of the D$%^ street. It's not Grand Theft Auto.. It's the real world, you do not come back alive after you have been ran over with a car.

I understand when people are passing yes I do stop to make sure I DON'T HIT them, but how can I prevent a crazed child/teenager/adult that just darts in front of my car so it can become roadkill? I can't magically say Abracadabra fly magic car.. it would still be my fault. Why should it. I didn't make that person jump in front of my car or followed them with my car so I can run them over. Why should I have to suffer for it..

I <3 you, you make so much sense.

Here's some hugs: :grouphug

I will deliver the rest of the hugs on Saturday at CC.

For anyone who has EVER driven in the City of Detroit: You know better than to place blame on drivers. Seriously. They just DART out in front of your car with only FEET for the driver to stop. Some of them are LOOKING for lawsuits...that's why we need laws that aire on the side of drivers when the time calls for it.

I've been halfway attempted to hit one of those little fuckers on their bikes but not only do I NOT want to fuck up the totally badass ultra-yellow paint job on my new car, I really don't want to do 25 to life just because some loser can't raise their kids. They'll get their own when their kids grow-up to become losers too, but the sad reality is that the parent will also find some way to blame society for that.

We really need a standarized test for parenting...like if you don't pass you don't have kids. End of story. Oh well...it's a free country. I guess having to put up with all the assholes/losers who can't raise a kid comes with that price tag.

I really hate parents. Almost all new parents. I can count how many parents I've known to be decent in my WHOLE life using less than 10 fingers. It's sick.

[sass_in_the_pants]

I really hate parents. Almost all new parents.

Thanks, nice to know you too. Are you this charming in person?

[Destroit]

Thanks, nice to know you too. Are you this charming in person?

I said "almost". If you're a good parent and know you're a good parent then please, try to teach parents who aren't doing a good job a lesson . I didn't mean for it to come across that harshly.

I will also say that, yes, it seems from what I've observed that this current generation of parents with younger kids just isn't doing as well as the last, and especially not as good as the one before that.

If I haven't met you or your kids before, then I obviously have no room to talk. But in my personal non-DGN life, every newer parent I know is REALLY not doing a good job, I could count all the good parents I know personally on two hands.

What I said didn't come across too well, or rather didn't come across in the way I intended, 'cause I was a little heated, my bad.

[Draco1958]

msterbeau...

PEDESTRIANS ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR EXCUSE.

And when not in a crosswalk can get a jaywalking ticket. And even tho your statement is true, it DOES NOT give them the right to dart out between parked cars when a car on the street is moving. Pedestrians have been issued tickets for that even if they were hit by a car. They still have to yield the right away at some point for safety. It is not always the driver's fault. I'm just tired of drivers taking all the heat while pedestrians will walk out in front of a moving vehicle and claim it wasn't their fault they were stupid. And I belive msterbeau's perspective by being a car enthusiast gives him clearer sight on the physics involved of what can stop quickly and what can't. I don't believe it makes his opinion biased at all.

[sass_in_the_pants]

Dude, there is an imbalance of law because there is an imbalance of power.

Exactly. I drive. I also ride my bike. I'll give a shiny nickel to whoever can tell me who wins in a fight, car or bike.

When I only worked six miles from home, I would ride my bike to work. Snow, rain, stray dogs, all of that I could handle, but it was the CARS! I'm a safe rider - I wear a helmet, I use hand signals, I obey traffic laws. And, here's the rub - if I DON'T, if I'm a bad cyclist, well, it'll be my brains splattered on the sidewalk, no one else's.

In all fairness to drivers, our suburban area is woefully ill-equipped to handle both auto and bicycle traffic. No one WANTED to run me over, that's for sure, but they just weren't expecting a cyclist. They're not used to seeing them. And the driveways to many businesses have landscaping that blocks a driver's view of oncoming pedestrians and block MY view of the cars. People were very respectful and nice - IF they saw me. That was the trouble. And actually, I am SUPPOSED to ride in the street. I could be issued a ticket for riding on the sidewalk. But there is NO freaking way I would ever ride in any of the streets around here, too dangerous.

What I said didn't come across too well, or rather didn't come across in the way I intended, 'cause I was a little heated, my bad.

no worries.