MINIMUM Noise Requirements In Virginia???

[SegSailor]

If this topic isn't off, at least here in Virginia our Legislators are.

In addition to being a Segway enthusiast, I am a devoted antique "little British car" fan. And I'm involved with a few car related groups, one of which is a council of many of the Commonwealth's car clubs that closely follows what those, er, folks over in Richmond think ought to be enacted every year as new law. And believe me when I tell you that they can come up with some REAL doozies! About every other year they want to reinvent the wheel and do something that adversly affects the collector car hobby, and we end up going into head butting mode. Thankfully, this is an off year, they are leaving us alone, and I'll have more time to glide. They seem more interested this year in creating yet another version of license tag to add to our selection of over a hundred and eighty http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/c...ate_search.asp to choose from (this year one is for the Shag Dance Clubs of Virginia - and no, I can't make this stuff up). They are also working to pass a law prohibiting, well, the display of certain parts of anatomy of livestock from the trailer hitches of trucks. I'll leave that one alone. But they are now also working on a Bill that has been passed by the Transportation Committee in a 15 - 0 vote in favor of creating MINIMUM noise requirements for cars. Their feeling is that the new Prius and other Hybrids are too quiet for blind pedestrians to hear, and that this is creating a safety issue. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...?081+ful+SB739 Their solution is to require all motor vehicles registered in Virginia (electric or not) to "emit an omni-directional sound with similar spectral characteristics to that of a modern internal combustion engine... (and) the sound shall vary in a way that is consistent with the sound of motor vehicles with internal combustion engines indicating that the vehicle is idling, maintaining a constant speed, accelerating, or decelerating..." As one of the representatives from a hot rod club on the council said: "But officer, my glass-pack mufflers are only there for pedestrian safety!"

Now, I know that Segways are not required to be registered, and that they fall (for now) under a completely different set of rules (again, for now) but can't you see (following Richmond logic) a requirement coming down the 'pike that would require Segs to sound like mopeds or scooters?!?! Or mimicking the sound of a kid's bicycle with a playing card rattling the front spokes? Maybe Inc. will start selling custom Seg-tone downloads...

[pam]

Maybe they'll be able to live with the "horn" equivalent, which some states have required. Or maybe they'll just ignore it completely. We can pray. LOL
Pam

[wwhopper]

But does someone on a bike or who is walking need to make more noise too? And with all the backround noise, do we need to make more so it can be heard above the din? I myself find that I like the quiet, but then again, I have my sight.

The folks from Segway of Annapolis, spent a night with a blind group, and yes almost all of the got on the Segway and tried it out. Their real issue is having just one more thing they have to deal with that they need to identify as a hazard to their movement. And sound to them is the sense that makes the most sense.

It was interesting to talk to them and hear their concerns. One was concerned that the guide dogs would be disturbed by the seg. And one was sure that theirs was when it growled during dinner, "see my dog was disturbed by the Segway" when really it was growling because one of the people knocked the bread basket off the table and we went to pick it up and the dog felt it belonged to him and did not want it picked up. It was one of those, how do you explain this situations.

And on those things hanging from trailer hitches - one of the SegChatter posted that a number of years ago, as something to hang from the back of a Segway. How very nice!

[GadgetmanKen]

I remember someone posting a video awhile back with the segway sounding like the Jetsons space mobile. I think this is the link. If its got to be audible for the blind why not this sound.

[pam]

But, you know, the Segway isn't silent. There's a certain amount of gear sound, and the tires make noise, too.
Pam

[nora k]

i have a customer who is legally blind and uses his machine for mobility. he and his daughter travel into the downtown area of their city for running errands. he's a member here and i hope he catches this thread so he can respond.

and i have considered getting a lil bike bell for my machine.

and as pam said, that terrible gear lashing, i mean normal gear noise, can be very very loud.

[Michael M. Marcum]

Hello I am the guy Nora spoke of who is legally blind. I bought 2 Segways 4 years ago so my daughter and I could get around town better. She was 12 at the time. It was a good decision. We live in a town of about 60,000 and can get to almost anywhere in town.

It is an interesting point about cars needing to make noise. On a sunny day I can hear farther than I can see. I do not use a white cane so someone in a car would not know of my problem.

I do not believe this is such a problem with the Segway or a bicycle because of the speed and the size difference.

A totally blind person may disagree but because they use the cane it identifies their problem to those around them.

Just my 2 cents worth