You seem to be saying "a car is a big ungainly poorly manoeuvrable object, therefore it is incumbent on pedestrians to get out of its way". So, again, why should the negative attributes of driver A's choice of conveyance be visited on pedestrians B, C, D and E when they do not benefit from its positive attributes? Wouldn't it be slightly more civilised to say that if driver A wants to bring the car into a place it is (by your own description) clearly unsuited to be, he should be the one who has to go to greater effort to get it out again? It's not their fault he can't step sideways, is it?
Electric Cars ....
- Thread starter Klaus
- Start date
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You seem to be saying "a car is a big ungainly poorly manoeuvrable object, therefore it is incumbent on pedestrians to get out of its way". So, again, why should the negative attributes of driver A's choice of conveyance be visited on pedestrians B, C, D and E when they do not benefit from its positive attributes? Wouldn't it be slightly more civilised to say that if driver A wants to bring the car into a place it is (by your own description) clearly unsuited to be, he should be the one who has to go to greater effort to get it out again? It's not their fault he can't step sideways, is it?
[QUOTE 1398144"]
I don't know about you, but when on my bike and about to turn left into a side road, pedestrians travelling in the same direction rarely look behind before stepping out. Because they haven't heard a car.
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I find in the car that they often don't look behind when there is a car there either. But in fairness, why should they? They're going straight on, I'm the one trying to move into their path
I don't know about you, but when on my bike and about to turn left into a side road, pedestrians travelling in the same direction rarely look behind before stepping out. Because they haven't heard a car.
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I find in the car that they often don't look behind when there is a car there either. But in fairness, why should they? They're going straight on, I'm the one trying to move into their path
jonesy
Guru
I don't dispute that people are likely to be relying too much on hearing, but I think you are simplifying the situation too much, and making an assumption about why they have behaved in the way you observed. People also step out in front of moving vehicles, and indeed drivers pull out into the path of other vehicles. Not because they are intentionally taking a risk, but because, for a range of possible reasons, they made a mistake.
[QUOTE 1398144"]
I don't know about you, but when on my bike and about to turn left into a side road, pedestrians travelling in the same direction rarely look behind before stepping out. Because they haven't heard a car.
[/quote]
+1 I get that every day in town.
Glad that the majority of posters here have good eyesight and can choose to not listen. The beeb article made a good point about those who don't have a similar choice. Interesting to also read that guide dogs are trained to hear car noises.
I don't know about you, but when on my bike and about to turn left into a side road, pedestrians travelling in the same direction rarely look behind before stepping out. Because they haven't heard a car.
[/quote]
+1 I get that every day in town.
Glad that the majority of posters here have good eyesight and can choose to not listen. The beeb article made a good point about those who don't have a similar choice. Interesting to also read that guide dogs are trained to hear car noises.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
If you don't care about stupid pedestrians getting mowed down by silent cars, then pity the poor drivers of the electric vehicles who have to scrape them off!
The BBC report said that the lack of engine noise at low speed was the problem and acknowledged that tyre noise at higher speeds would be enough to help to alert pedestrians.
The boffins were trying to come up with a noise which would be easily heard but which would be less oppressive than the sound of conventional cars.
Apparently, the EU is going to bring in laws about this soon.
The BBC report said that the lack of engine noise at low speed was the problem and acknowledged that tyre noise at higher speeds would be enough to help to alert pedestrians.
The boffins were trying to come up with a noise which would be easily heard but which would be less oppressive than the sound of conventional cars.
Apparently, the EU is going to bring in laws about this soon.
[QUOTE 1398148"]
Because it's a shared space. Read my sig.
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It's a shared space in which the driver moving at 25mph can claim "dibs" on anywhere between 5 and about 60 times as much of the space as the pedestrian, simply by virtue of the distance he needs to stop in - that's hardly an equitable division, is it? The civilised approach would be, in my view, to adopt the principle that with greater power comes greater responsibility
Because it's a shared space. Read my sig.
[/quote]
It's a shared space in which the driver moving at 25mph can claim "dibs" on anywhere between 5 and about 60 times as much of the space as the pedestrian, simply by virtue of the distance he needs to stop in - that's hardly an equitable division, is it? The civilised approach would be, in my view, to adopt the principle that with greater power comes greater responsibility
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Sorry, but labelling an adult using an iPod while walking down the pavement and staring at his feet who then steps out onto a busy A-road during the rush hour without looking as anything other than stupid is ... er, stupid? When the man did it - I called him stupid. I didn't feel inclined to discuss with him the incredible difficulty of navigating "the complex street environment"!
What's so complex about this ...?
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLeK1LKZKiI[/media]
A friend of mine rarely looks to see if any traffic is coming before stepping out into the road. She said she doesn't need to look because she can hear the traffic coming. I pointed out that it was a stupid thing to say (and do) - she wouldn't hear a bicycle coming or an electric vehicle at low speed. Oh yes she would!
So, a couple of years later, I'm riding my bike down the road and I see my pal walking on the pavement in the same direction as me. Hands on brakes, wait for it ... she steps out in front of me. I brake to a halt shouting "WATCH OUT!" She jumps back onto the pavement, shaking with fear. "Sorry - I didn't hear you!" STUPID!
Her mother doesn't always look before crossing the road. She had been warned about it numerous times. She still carried on doing it. One day, she walked straight out into the road without looking and got hit by a double-decker bus. It knocked her clean off her feet, but fortunately the driver had reacted quickly enough to avoid running over her. STUPID!
Rhythm Thief
Veteran
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I originally thought that a pizza delivery moped noise might fit the bill, but decided another two-stroke buzz might be more pleasing...
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWqJe1dCgY[/media]
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWqJe1dCgY[/media]
Davidc
Guru
- Location
- Somerset UK
you could have just rung your bell of course, since you'd already seen her! or moved away from the pavement ? done that a few times in the car even..
I assume they'll mandate 'an appropriate engine sound' and allow manufactorers to make em sound like something interesting.... i mean, you wouldnt want your ferrari to sound like a prius would you
Mad at urage
New Member
- Location
- Just N of Cardiff
As a driver of a Prius I can vouch for the italicised bit, that's entirely true
, however the last sentence is rubbish.As a driver of a Prius I can and do take responsibility for being able to stop my vehicle in the space I can see to be clear and reasonably expect to remain clear; which in view of your initial points, includes being aware of anywhere that a pedestrian could step in front of me and being able to stop in that space.
