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from the fake-engine-noises-FTW-Vrrrm-Vrrrm! dept.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the rule was needed because battery-powered vehicles are very quiet.
It said the rule would particularly help blind pedestrians, or those with a visual impairment, detect electric cars and hybrids on the road.
The new safety rule could help prevent 2,400 injuries a year, said the NHTSA.
The rule demands that the cars make a noise when travelling either forwards or backwards at speeds of less than 30kmh (19mph). The regulation covers vehicles with four wheels that weigh less than 10,000 pounds (4.5 tonnes).
The safety specification requires car makers to use a two-tone signal similar to that currently emitted by heavy vehicles when they are reversing.
It would be more fun if drivers could customize what that sound is, such as "La Cucaracha" or the whine of a Shadow vessel.
Electric and hybrid cars are to include a noise generation device for travel at low speeds with no internal combustion engine: http://www.nhtsa.gov/About-NHTSA/Press-Releases/nhtsa_quiet_car_final_rule_11142016.
There goes my quiet electric future.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday November 16 2016, @09:20PM
That flashing bus light is even more annoying than the newer brake lights these days that blink 3-5 times every time they apply the brakes.
I'm quite sure there are no newer vehicles with brake lights like this, and in fact, they do not conform to Federal motor vehicle code and are therefore illegal for on-road use.
What you're seeing is people who have purchased aftermarket brake light flashing modules and installed them in their cars or motorcycles (motorcyclists tend to buy more of this kind of stuff, to increase their visibility). They're very likely in violation of the law, but they're unlikely to get ticketed for it, though they probably won't pass a state inspection in states that have inspections and check brake lights.
You're right about these flashers being annoying. Personally, I think they'd be good to have if they were combined with an accelerometer so that they only flashed the brake light(s) when the car was doing emergency braking, but not during more normal braking (esp. in stop-and-go traffic). The flashing is good for getting peoples' attention, but like the old boy who cried wolf story, if all cars did this every time the driver touched the brake pedal, it would just be annoying and would also be ignored.