Not too quiet: US requires electric cars to have sound

Recently, according to the automotive news website Leftlanenews, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just passed a regulation requiring all electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to make certain sounds to alert pedestrians and ensure their personal safety.

NHTSA predicts that the rule will help prevent 2,400 pedestrian injuries each year in the U.S. "This is a common-sense measure that will help pedestrians, especially those who are blind or have low vision, move around safely," NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind explained in an online statement.

It is reported that the law came into effect in September 2019. Its content stipulates that electric vehicles must make sounds audible to humans when moving forward or reversing, but it does not specify what kind of sounds need to be made.

The regulations also state that electric vehicles only need to make a sound when the speed is less than 19 miles per hour (about 30.58 kilometers). NHTSA explained that when the car is traveling at speeds above 19 miles per hour, there is no need to make a sound because factors such as the sound of tires and wind will warn pedestrians of the vehicle's approach. In addition, this regulation only applies to four-wheeled vehicles, which means that the Vespa electric two-wheeled scooter that Piaggio will launch next year can run in complete silence.

As of press time, neither automakers nor parts manufacturers have commented on the regulations.

In terms of electric vehicle driving standards, Japan started early, and countries and regions such as the United States, South Korea, and Europe have also formulated or are formulating relevant standards to ensure pedestrian safety. my country is also currently studying electric vehicle driving standards, which involve driving noise standards.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.