An Associated Press story says that the Japanese government has set up a panel with automakers to study the idea of adding sound to hybrid vehicles to make them noisier — and therefore, safer – for blind pedestrians. Proposed sounds include artificial engine noises, music, or even ring tones, like those used in cell phones.
The AP story said that the government set up the panel in response to concerns from The Japan Federation of the Blind. An informal survey of 52 blind people carried out by the group revealed that more than half the respondents were “terrified” of hybrids.
A Japanese newspaper reported Tuesday that the sounds may be available on Toyota cars sold in 2010, possibly in conjunction with radar technology to sense nearby pedestrians and activate the noise when necessary.