Hybrid cars are great for the environment and are becoming a popular choice when people are considering buying a new car .
However the National Federation for the Blind are concerned with the safety of blind people crossing the street as they can’t hear hybrid cars as they are too quiet. Blind pedestrians rely on the sound of cars and traffic in general in order to cross safely.
The cars run on a mixture of gasoline and electricity which reduces the noise they make.
The matter was highlighted by Michael Osborn when he nearly walked out in front of a Toyota Prius before being stopped by his guide dog .
Osborn said, "Half an inch and it would have hit us ... it wasn't making any noise.
"I'm an environmentalist, and I'm all for quiet cars," he said. "But it poses a particular problem for somebody who has no vision."
Sumara Shakeel, a rehabilitation teacher for the New Jersey Commission for the Blind said for a blind person, "it's very important to be able to gather auditory and tactile cues from the environment.”
The National Federation of the Blind is calling for the auto industry to change the design of hybrid cars to make sounds loud enough to hear over other ambient noises.
Gary Wunder, member of the NFB Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety said, "We want to get ahead of this and not have to wait until five blind people end up seriously hurt or dead."
Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said he wasn't aware of the problems and believes that the responsibility lies with drivers and pedestrians to watch out for each other. He added, "One of the benefits of the vehicles is that they don't contribute to traffic noise."
