Be aware of the Silent Killer

A new silent killer is now on our roads, it is the new electric cars. When moving off from a parked position and especially in carparks there will be no noise from the electric cars. This can pose a major danger to pedestrians as the walk through the carpark. Just think of you pushing a trolley with wonky wheels and your children running around you, and suddenly a car starts moving out of a space; no warning of an engine starting. I know you could say that the driver should be looking out for me and mine but this is not always the case. Maybe by next year some standards should be in force so that all electric cars will have some form of audible sound before they stat to move.
International standards, which have already been drawn up by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, are expected to be turned into legally binding regulations by the end of next year.

The move comes as the popularity of fuel-efficient hybrid and electric cars grows, as motorists look to tackle soaring petrol and diesel costs.

According to the latest industry figures there are currently 2,353 electric and 128,165 hybrid cars – such as the best selling Toyota Prius – on Britain’s roads. I am not sure what the figure here is in Ireland at the moment. 

Research carried out last year by TRL, formerly the Government’s Transport Research Laboratory, found taking into account the number of vehicles on the road, pedestrians were more likely to be hit by an electric car than a conventional one.

It also found electric and hybrid cars were quieter than conventional vehicles in the first five metres after a standing start, such as at a pedestrian crossing.
Declan Duignan
www.duignan.eu