Disabling PWS Pedestrian Warning Sound?

[Aces-Truck]

This mandatory noise for cars is the result of a strong PAC representing blind folks. You can debate the pro's and cons all you want. But manufactures hands have been tied. I doubt it is saving many blind people.

Personally, I don't mind a slight noise if it's discreet. The newer Prius had a sound that resembled regen on an alternator. It actually changed tone as your speed changed. It wasn't that loud.

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[Knucklehead]

I put a volume control on my Mach-e's pedestrian speaker. With it turned all the way down, it is silent. I have never had a problem with anyone not hearing my car approaching. Ever. And I have never seen a single blind pedestrian near my car in the thousands of years I have been driving. The pedestrian speaker is just noise pollution.

With it turned on, the stupid speaker on my car makes more noise than an ICEV. I was walking down a quiet road with my wife and our dogs, and a 20 year old F150 came up behind us. We never heard it until it was next to us. Seriously. A big, old truck is quieter than my stupid pedestrian speaker.

One of the great things about a BEV is the fact it doesn't have an engine that makes noise. Why ruin that for no good reason?

By the way, you probably cannot just disconnect the speaker. I used a potentiometer that simulates the resistance of a speaker. Alternatively you need a resister. Try a 4 ohm 20 Watt resister instead of the speaker to prevent an error.

 

[Wraven]

Why would you want to disable a federally-mandated feature intended to save lives? Surely you could be more creative than sneaking up on and running down pedestrians

Side and rear view mirrors are mandated too, and folks want to remove them. -shrug-

I would like to see the data on how many “silent” EVs have caused injuries and/death and how that number has changed since this “mandate”.

 

[HaulingAss]

Intended @Crissa. I have to tell you, though, that I was caught by surprise twice in the last month as a pedestrian by BEVs at low speed that I neither saw nor heard. I would take it as an act of aggression someone disabling the warning would.

If it's so helpful, why aren't PWS required on all high-end, smooth running luxury touring sedans? On frontal approach, and at speeds under 15 mph, ICE cars can be just as quiet as an EV. These PWS are just one more attack to try to increase the price and red tape and slow down EV adoption.

 

[Knucklehead]

Side and rear view mirrors are mandated too, and folks want to remove them. -shrug-

I would like to see the data on how many “silent” EVs have caused injuries and/death and how that number has changed since this “mandate”.

I got into a big debate with people about this on the Mach-e forum. Proponents provided a sudy that showed a higher low speed pedestrian accident rate in cities with hybrids compared with ICEVs. However, when you dig into the data and the assumptions made, the conclusions fall apart IMO.

There is no definitive data that proves these noise pollution devices do anything to improve pedestrian safety. All people can say is "the government requires it, so you better not disable it or you will be liable" and "it has to work because you can hear the car coming when before you could not". Both could be true, and both mean nothing without actual data to show it does reduce injuries.

So it is just opinion. And my opinion is my car is just as safe as that F150 I could not hear coming up behind me. In fact, my car is much safer than that F150 because it has a crapload of sensors and safety features designed to reduce the chance of an accident.

This is just another example of government regulations run amok. And people shrugging and following along because they think government regulators are smarter than they are. (Actually, they are stupider.)

 

[CyberGus]

Stupid government, trying to make us safer. I demand the freedom to hurt myself!

 

[DumpsterFire]

Not really, unless your argument was 'they stepped in front of me.'


There's no evidence it saves lives. The motors and tires make noise.

-Crissa

Eh. As someone who drives a 2018 pre-speaker M3, I can tell you that my tires and motors don’t make nearly enough noise to consistently warn pedestrians in parking lots or even on my own street where I’m constantly having to obnoxiously tap my horn to warn peeps I’m there.

 

[DumpsterFire]

Stupid government, trying to make us safer. I demand the freedom to hurt myself!

‘Merica!

 

[Jimbo Ringo]

Many don't like the sound. Both of our older cars don't have it. New one does. We don't live in an area where it helps people. We do like the silent for watching and seeing wildlife. A real silent car at 7 mph on cruise.

Try not to hit a pedestrian if one does disconnect. Knowing one took the time to remove might be problematic from a legal perspective. Who knows if it would create an in cabin alert.

You lose your outside music option when you strip the speaker!

 

[cgladue]

You lose your outside music option when you strip the speaker!

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