7 Sep 2010

GENEVA / SILENT CARS

Experts at the Geneva-based UN Economic Commission for Europe — the body responsible for harmonizing global vehicle regulations — are working on a set of minimum noise standards designed to keep quiet vehicles from becoming a safety risk to pedestrians. UNTV

Posted at: September 7, 2010 4:15 pm

Duration: 03:53

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: GENEVA / SILENT CARS
TRT: 3.53
SOURCE: CHUNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 7 SEPTEMBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

1.  Pan right, from sound level microphone to hybrid car passing by
2.  SOUNDBITE (English) John Paré Jr, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind:  
"It's a huge problem. Blind people rely on the sound of vehicles to travel safely. We can't see cars, so if we can't hear the car, we're going to be hit by the car."
3. Med shot, electric car with electric noise passing by
4.  SOUNDBITE (English) John Paré Jr, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind:  
"At first we were very skeptical that this was really a problem, but as we did our own tests and brought in these cars and tried to see if we could hear them in time to avoid an accident, we discovered we could not, and that's when we brought this to the attention of automobile manufacturers, Governments and then the UN."
5. Zoom in, sound speaker in front of car zoom in-
6. SOUNDBITE (English) John Paré Jr, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind:  
"The US has done some analysis and there is twice the likelihood of an accident under certain low speed scenarios with these hybrid cars versus traditional internal combustion engine vehicles."
7. Med shot, car passing by camera
8. SOUNDBITE (English) John Paré Jr, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind:  
"We believe that the best solution is to add an artificial sound, a small but safe level of sound that's recognizable and provides the safety we've always had with the sound of vehicles."
9. Close up driver inside car
10. Close up, energy dashboard display
11. Close up, audio off sign in the dashboard
12. Wide shot, view from car
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Theis, Chair, Working Party on Noise, UNECE: 
"You cannot find a golden solution you have to find a solution that's acceptable to for manufactures, for governments and the other participants like pedestrians.  Nobody should be annoyed and the solution should be a big benefit for the pedestrian. It shouldn't increase the cost of vehicles and it should have no negative influence on the environment."
14. Med shot, car passing camera
15. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christian Theis, Chair, Working Party on Noise, UNECE: 
"I expect to have a short term solution by February next year which can be used by the industry and a mid term solution at end of 2012 beginning of 2013."
16. Various shots, sound Exercices x 5
17. Med shot, car passing camera
18. Various shots, UNECE working group

STORYLINE

Experts at the Geneva-based United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the body responsible for harmonizing global vehicle regulations, are working on a set of minimum noise standards designed to keep quiet vehicles from becoming a safety risk to pedestrians.

Many people simply can't hear hybrid and electric cars, due to their ability to run in a nearly silent electric mode during most of their drive time.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US found that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists than other vehicles.

The situation is especially critical for groups like the blind, who rely on being able to hear vehicles to avoid being hit.

John Paré Jr, Executive Director at the National Federation of the Blind in the US said that "It's a huge problem. Blind people rely on the sound of vehicles to travel safely.  We can't see cars, so if we can't hear the car, we're going to be hit by the car."

So far, Japan is the only country to have come up with voluntary noise guidelines for makers of electric and hybrid vehicles, but the government is leaving it up to individual manufacturers to decide on the type of sound a vehicle will make.  It's hoped national and regional governments will adopt a standard once they have been agreed on by UNECE's experts.