How dangerous are silent cars?

A paper released by a European standardisation body raises questions about the safety of silent cars.

ANEC, the European consumer voice in standardisation, has written a position paper raising concerns about hybrid and electrical cars. They say the lack of engine noise means that although the cars are better for the environment, they could be more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.

No car is completely silent, but electric and hybrid cars are much quieter than most. Their muted engine noises are more difficult to hear, and could mean that pedestrians don’t know they are coming.

Often the quiet running of these cars is seen as a bonus for manufacturers, as the cars can help contribute to quieter neighbourhoods. However, some groups representing pedestrians are concerned about the effect silent cars will have on pedestrian safety.

• The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association points out that it is much harder for blind pedestrians to know when a car is approaching. The problem is similar for guide dogs, who also rely on their hearing to judge safe crossing places.
• Young children (under 9) are not capable of accurately judging speed and distance. This means that it’s hard to judge the speed of oncoming cars. This judgement is even harder when speed can’t be associated with engine noise.
• Cyclists are also at risk. Although most cyclists will look before making a manoeuvre, some are reliant on hearing engine sounds to judge whether something is safe.
• People with impaired hearing – older people, those listening to MP3 players, or using mobile phones – are also at increased risk.

Possible solutions

A number of possible solutions for this problem have been proposed, including:

• Vibrating sensors for deaf people
• Artificial noise producers fitted to the silent cars
• Legislation ensuring that all cars have a minimum noise requirement (at the moment cars have a maximum noise output requirement, but not a minimum one)

More information

See the position paper: Silent but dangerous: When absence of noise is a risk factor for pedestrians.

Have your say

Have silent cars ever been raised as an issue in your area? For example, have you any experience of silent cars causing accidental injury?