'Silent' electric cars - will this be an issue out hacking?

[Meowy Catkin]

I know that blind people are concerned about this, but should the horse world be worried too?

 

[Leandy]

Yes. There are many times when hacking on the road I have heard a vehicle approaching well before I see it and have felt the need to move out of the way onto a verge or up a driveway or sideroad to let it pass. And the horse is forewarned by hearing vehicles approaching from behind so is not startled when they suddenly appear in his field of view. Reallly not comfortable with idea that large, maybe fast moving vehicles will appear around blind bends and from behind without an early warning that they are approaching.

 

[ester]

yes, and cyclists

 

[Mrs B]

Well, a friend of mine has just been to visit with her electric car. I was saying goodbye - her window was wound down - and I suddenly realised her car was moving. I hadn't heard a thing. One of my cats often sits under cars and although her hearing is many times better than mine, she needs as much notice as possible to judge which way to run to safety if an engine starts.

The lanes round here are narrow and winding with high banks and being by the coast, it's often windy. I reply on my hearing so much to hear what I cannot see whether I'm walking or riding. I can also gauge the size of a vehicle by its engine noise and act accordingly.

So yes, I'm worried. And I'm not by nature a worrier!

 

[Leandy]

But perhaps future self driving cars will be programmed to slow sufficiently and give a suitably wide berth when coming across a horse on the road, and indeed to go suitable speeds on country lanes. So maybe there will be advantages to new technology.

 

[meleeka]

I’m worried too. It’s a shame they can’t have an artificial noise, although I’m told by my teenager that some have an artificial cockpit engine sound.

 

[Leandy]

Some "supercars" already have artificial cockpit engine sound! Hilarious when they have the window open and more noise is coming from inside than outside!

 

[cobgoblin]

When electric cars first came out wasn't there talk of giving them a sound?

 

[ycbm]

Yes, and I drive one so I know it from both sides. Cyclists don't hear it and don't move over to let us past.

Out riding I often stop well short on blind bends, or trot on, because I can hear a car approaching from the other side or behind me far too fast. It does worry me what the situation will be when they are all electric.

But a deaf person once said to me 'welcome to my world', so I guess we will just have to cope, or even more of us leave the roads.

..

 

[cowgirl16]

I am very worried indeed - I nearly had a heart attack the other day when one of these cars crept up behind me in Tesco's car park! The sort of roads I ride on are all single track country lanes, it's bad enough when a cyclist speeds up behind you, let alone a flippin car! An accident waiting to happen I fear. Give me a nice noisy diesel any day!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I am very worried indeed - I nearly had a heart attack the other day when one of these cars crept up behind me in Tesco's car park!

Same here, except I was in the car park of the local Medical Centre! At least I suppose I was in the right place to get prompt first aid!

They absolutely should be required to have an audible sound. We rely on hearing traffic before we see it here on our narrow overgrown lanes.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I believe from July all electric cars will be fitted with something that makes a sound for this very reason.

 

[ycbm]

I believe from July all electric cars will be fitted with something that makes a sound for this very reason.

You're right, but unfortunately for riders only at low speeds (up to 20kph) and on new cars. I've just looked it up, I didn't know about that.

 

[scruffyponies]

Junctions will be worst. One of our bridle paths has a blind exit onto a fast road. We already don't use it on a windy day because it's too dangerous when you can't hear the engines. Electric cars will make it suicide.

I have also had a collision with a pair of cyclists (we were in a carriage, so I was too far behind the junction to see) for the same reason - unless you can hear them, you have to emerge from the junction on hearing alone.

 

[ester]

Don't you put your groom down if you cannot see the junction well enough?

I'm not sure if it's quite been mentioned but horses are used to cars making noise, they do tend to take them by surprised too.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I have also had a collision with a pair of cyclists (we were in a carriage, so I was too far behind the junction to see) for the same reason - unless you can hear them, you have to emerge from the junction on hearing alone.

I think you’ve posted about this before. You were 100% at fault for sending your pony/ponies on at a blind junction where you did not have right of way. This is when you need a responsible person on hand to walk on and check the road is clear before you emerge from the junction. You cannot rely on hearing alone.

 

[Orangehorse]

I was in a supermarket car park walking towards the pay machine and a car was reversing out of its space. I realised that it was making NO sound at all, and I could see that it was electric. I thought then that it is going to be a hazard for all sorts of people.

 

[Darbs]

Yes, a neighbour of ours ran his wife over when she was knelt down gardening on the edge of the drive, he didnt see her and she didnt hear his car reversing. She was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to hospital.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I don’t understand why they are silent! Everything else with an electric motor makes a heck of a racket, even my toothbrush! Think of your clippers, lawnmower etc!

 

[stormox]

I heard that they are going to have to make some sort of noise after next year due to them being a danger.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I was in a supermarket car park walking towards the pay machine and a car was reversing out of its space. I realised that it was making NO sound at all, and I could see that it was electric. I thought then that it is going to be a hazard for all sorts of people.

A car park is the sort of environment where IMHO the general public are most at risk from silent vehicles. Most of us look both ways before crossing a road or thoroughfare, but how many of us check constantly for silent cars entering or exiting car park spaces as we push our supermarket trolleys along?

Darbs’ sad tale up thread is another example.

 

[PeterNatt]

ELECTRIC CARS will have to produce as much noise as cars powered by internal combustion engines, under new EU rules. Euro MPs have decided that on safety grounds electric cars must lose one of their key advantages over their petrol and diesel counterparts — that they are less noisy. They are concerned that electric cars could be unnoticed by other road users, especially pedestrians.

Under the new rules — expected to come into force next year — electric and hybrid cars will have to artificially generate the sound of an engine revving below speeds of 13mph. Above that speed, tyre and wind noise will be enough to alert other road users.

The new legislation also says the artificial sounds already generated by some electric cars — such as the Blade Runner-type whine made by the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe — are inadequate because they are not instantly recognisable as the noises of a car.

 

[RHM]

I almost got plowed down by one on a narrow country lane the other day, luckily they were going very slowly around the corners! I drive a hybrid so runs off electric at low speeds and I have lost count of the times pedestrians have just stepped out in front of me without looking. I have to drive round car parks at about 3mph to avoid the suicidal public. 🙈 they definitely need noise adding to them lower than the 20mph!

 

[ester]

Peter will that just be new ones or will it have to be retro fitted?

 

[Gift Horse]

As I understand it by 2020 all electric cars will be required to make sound when traveling at speeds under 20kph (new cars and retrofitting those on the road)
This doesn’t help us horse riders much. We have had an electric car for a couple of years and it’s silence does worry me. I’m sceptical about relying on the road noise (when the car is travelling over 20kph) to warn other vulnerable road users.

 

[The-Bookworm]

We have electric cars already around here.
She hears them as the ear will flick. I actually find cars in general are quiet.

 

[Red-1]

I had one startle us a couple of months ago. Horse is usually good in traffic, and in fact was good with this, but it did startle her enough to sit down. She simply did not know it was there and then thought she was under attack. She is ace with cyclists too, but this startled her more.

 

[Milliechaz]

There are a few electric cars where I hack and my mare has been startled on a number of occasions when they move without making a noise. For example if one is stationary behind a parked car and is waiting for me to approach and pass before overtaking the parked car. The electric car has moved once we have passed the parked car and my mare has jumped out of her skin because she wasn't expecting it to do so with no noise.

 

[The Trooper]

They are not 100% silent, admittedly the sound they make is alot quieter than a combustion engine but they still make a sound (Almost a whirring sound of the electric motors spinning). Initially I can imagine it causing some issues with horses as it's a new sound but I think long term the horse should be OK. Being prey animals their hearing is great and they will likely hear them approaching long before you hear or see them.

With regards to getting out of the way because you can hear a vehicle coming and not being able to do so with an electric, that is a different story.

 

[ester]

I've always said F was a mechanic in a former life, he's very reactive if a vehicle is making a sound that isn't quite right!