Bloody electric mode

[Michael Rolls]

for the second time in just over a week I have had a near miss because pedestrians didn't hear the car coming. First occasion a woman and her dog emerged from her gate straight onto the road (no pavement). Then this morning, with a line cars parked on the further side of the road - same road - a chap pushed his lawnmower out from between two parked vehicles. It's a 30 limit but I never exceed 15 on it - it's only a couple of hundred yards long - and I was able to perform an emergency stop in both instances. Can't remember the last time I had to do an emergency stop, and now two in abut ten days.
Had I been doing 30 there is no way I could have stopped in time. As it was, my bumper couldn't have been more then two feet from the mower. Chap apologised profusely - but a normal engine would surely have been heard in both instances, especially as at that speed I would have been in a relatively low gear (auto)
There is a solution - I'm not using that road again. I have an alternative, adds a mile to the journey but so what - nothing like as potentially hazardous.

[Alex]

I wonder if ' near misses' are being recorded anywhere ?

[dextrous63]

A somewhat simpler solution would be to amend the Highway Code so that pedestrians are responsible for their own safety when crossing roads.  Making it clear that they ought to look to check that it is safe to do so, rather than the onus being on the driver to be responsible for their (the pedestrians' safety).

[Michael Rolls]

it'll never happen. The woman should have just stuck her head out past the bushy hedge and would have seen me. Doubt the man could  possibly have seen me because of the parked vehicles which included a Transit or similar and a motorhome

[Cassandra]

Over here electric cars are fitted with an engine noise mode alternate to silent, smakk speakers behind the grill transmit a variety of types!

[JBR]

A somewhat simpler solution would be to amend the Highway Code so that pedestrians are responsible for their own safety when crossing roads.  Making it clear that they ought to look to check that it is safe to do so, rather than the onus being on the driver to be responsible for their (the pedestrians' safety).

I agree.  However, common sense should be more common than it is at present.

Of course, EVs are almost silent apart from tyre noise and I agree that a sound producer would be likely to help.  Perhaps along the lines of ice cream vans!

[Scrumpy]

Pedestrians should use their ears as well as their eyes when stepping out onto a road.. Definitely not your mistake Michael..
Same applies in a car park.. Pedestrians walk all over the place unaware as to what is going on.. Motorist reverse out ... unaware as to what is going on..
Silent vehicles are dangerous..
I have seem Mums with pushchairs crossing a road behind parked cars .. pushchair first..!!

[Ashy]

When you are lying in bed with two broken legs and bits of lawnmower stuck in your chest, you can take comfort in knowing that you did your bit to save the planet. Not that it actually needs saving.

[klondike]

Not that it actually needs saving.

Funny you should say that...

https://dailysceptic.org/2023/09/03/the-giant-science-lie-that-underpins-the-entire-collectivist-net-zero-political-project/

Initially I bought into the CO₂ story. It's a greenhouse gas and that means it'll make the place warmer right. Nice and simple. Too simple I think now. I've become very sceptical that we are being told the truth. I'm leaning towards believing it's far more likely it's a scam. When there is a lot of money involved and net zero represents billions upon billions you can bet you won't get the complete truth and somebody is making a packet.

[dextrous63]

I suppose we could adopt the Egyptian style of driving, which appears to include blasting one's horn randomly and repeatedly for no apparent reason.

[Diasi]

There is a solution - I'm not using that road again. I have an alternative, adds a mile to the journey but so what - nothing like as potentially hazardous.

Can't the electric mode be disabled?

The more I read the more grateful I am that our 16-yr-old petrol car is still running, & very well too.

[Raven]

So am I, my diesel is quiet, it doesn't chug like the old diesels did but you can still hear her coming plus there's the DRL on all the time, I can't switch them off but they certainly catch the eye. I think electric vehicles are a good enough idea, but rushed, we are simply not ready for them yet. Maybe down the line a bit when everything is in place for them first, but certainly not yet.

[JBR]

So am I, my diesel is quiet, it doesn't chug like the old diesels did but you can still hear her coming plus there's the DRL on all the time, I can't switch them off but they certainly catch the eye. I think electric vehicles are a good enough idea, but rushed, we are simply not ready for them yet. Maybe down the line a bit when everything is in place for them first, but certainly not yet.

Personally, I think the real limiting factor which puts me off EVs is their lack of range.
Combine that with the length of time it takes to charge them up again makes them completely unsuitable for my needs.
I think the likely cause of their initial popularity (among some) is their avoidance of road tax.

[dextrous63]

Zero Road tax will only be a temporary matter.  In any case, the cost of purchasing will no doubt generate sufficient tax income to more than cover road tax for the life of the vehicle.

One day, once they can sort out realistic batteries with quick charging times, then maybe electric cars will be viable.  Providing, of course, that they have found a cheap way of generating electricity to replace fossil fuels.

On a kinda related point, one cannot but wonder what they'll be able to devise for heavy machines.  For some reason, military tanks spring to mind.  Not sure how they'll be able to operate those on battery power.

[klondike]

The military are not known for their green credentials. 

You need to worry how heavy an electric powered artic would be. They are 40 tonners already.