Slashdot Mirror
Nissan Gives Electric Cars Blade Runner Audio Effect
mateuscb writes "A campaign backed by automakers and some lawmakers to make electric or hybrid cars noisier in a bid to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists has taken a strange, Blade Runner-type twist. Nissan sound engineers have announced that the Leaf electric car set for release next year will emit a 'beautiful and futuristic' noise similar to the sound of flying cars — or 'spinners' — that buzz around 2019 Los Angeles in Ridley Scott's dystopian thriller based on a Philip K. Dick science fiction novel."
From the article ~ "Some reports suggest that in the future, car owners will download a sound for their car the way many consumers buy ring tones for their cellphones."
Oh crap, now we have to listen to cars playing crappy tunes on bad speakers all the time. Can't their be a law against this proposed. I think a few dead pedestrians is worth the loss of the noise pollution.
But at TFS says, it's a 'safety feature', I'd imagine you could 'turn it off' about as easily as the airbags or that thing that beeps when you're in reverse, and that's not without messing with wiring.
Blind people don't have the option of looking.
Try being blind and then guessing when it's safe to cross the road...
"hit the anchors and come to a dead stop in twenty feet just because some asshole saunterd out into the road because "the law" says he's allowed is absolutely ridiculous."
Uhhh if he's not jaywalking and reached the corner first and you are at a distance where it is safe for you to stop then yeah.... You really should stop...
If you are driving at a speed through an intersection where you are unable to stop if something comes out then you are a danger and will hopefully have your license taken before you kill anyone.
People crossing at the crosswalk aren't idiots. The right of way is NOT determined by who dies or everyone would be driving tanks and walking anywhere would be completely impossible. Main st in my town is a 60zone with lots of cars, the way you are talking you sound like you'd be happy splitting the city into essentially little islands.