Electric vehicles are a true technological achievement that has indisputable advantages both environmental and economic. They consume only electric power, they don’t require gas, they produce zero carbon dioxide and they are absolutely quiet. But could this last feature be less than what it seems? Noise in the big cities sometimes poses a true health hazard for some people. But for the blind and the visually impaired ones it is a useful tool that helps them move around.
Moreover, a report published in 2009 showed that the number of accidents involving pedestrians and hybrid vehicles was significantly higher than those with cars of conventional technology, which is an indication that vehicles with silent motors actually pose a safety risk for a certain group of people.
Based on that, and other reports that have followed the European Blind Union (EBU), a non-governmental and non profit organization, has for quite some time now has campaigned in favour of placing a device that produces a warning sound by the vehicles so as to alert the pedestrians when they are close by.
The EBU, which, since 1984 has been working for the protection and safety of blind and partially sighted people in Europe, in order to enhance this effort has issued a 4 page press release to be given to all journalists at the Paris Motor Show held from 29/9/2012 until 14/10/2012. This paper contains a summary of the present situation and describes 6 basic points that the organization feels are most significant towards ensuring that blind people will continue to be able to move around streets with safety.
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