Cars make noise. They might wake you up in the morning, or make it easy for you to tell if one is coming when you cross the street. What would the world be like if this were not the case? With the growing popularity of Electric Vehicles, there is a real chance of soon finding out.
Silent Vehicles
Electric Vehicles do not usually make any noise at low speeds. After all, they do not have engines that function in the same way as petrol and diesel engines. The moving parts of an engine which is powered by small explosions have no place in an electric, battery powered engine.
This silence has its advantages and disadvantages. Every person who is regularly woken up by road noise can attest to the annoyance it causes. The noise that comes from busy roads can do damage to peoples’ enjoyment of beauty spots and even affect the lives of wildlife.
Dangerously Quiet
However, silent cars are much more dangerous than noisy ones. Pedestrians are 40% more likely to be hit by an electric car, while 93% of sight impaired people have had difficulty with Electric Vehicles. With 140,000 electric cars estimated to be on the road today, there is more danger than ever. As a result of this, electric cars will soon need to produce a noise – even if it is artificially produced.
A Safer Future
If Electric Vehicles make a noise, they are predicted to become much safer for pedestrians – and especially children. Noise making devices will still be quieter than regular cars. They are likely to only be functional at lower speeds too. This means that roads will still be quieter overall than if only petrol vehicles were active.