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The rise of the Electric Vehicle – Cyclists new danger?

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  • October 16, 2018 at 11:47 am #29051
    AfterPeak

    Yes it sounds like a Daily Mail headline although it should probably be the other way around if it was a DM article but there is a hidden or should I say silent issue here. 

     

    Personally I am very happy with the reduction of polluting cars and motorbikes with the popularity of electric vehicles but I really think they should be fitted, as standard, with some sort of noise to alert people, cyclists and other road users they are there. Too many times now I have been scared the hell out of when a electric bike or car comes whizzing passed without a warning. It is bad enough when you can hear a car or bike revving in the distance getting closer but at least you know it is about to happen and can adjust you position/style.

    Anyway just a thought I think is worth talking about before someone gets injured. Not a fan of noise pollution either really but I am sure there could be a balance.  

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  • October 16, 2018 at 4:13 pm #929235
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    fenix

    Can’t say I’ve ever been

    Can’t say I’ve ever been surprised by an electric car – as has been said – its the road noise more than the engine noise.

     

    I was surprised by the shadow of a double decker bus looming over me before I’d heard it. 

    I think it was a combination of low sun, a hill and a headwind drowning out its engine. 

    October 16, 2018 at 4:10 pm #929233
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    Anonymous
    CXR94Di2 wrote:
    We Have a 18 Leaf.  The car emits a sound below 30 mph to aid pedestrians and other users to hear it.  It is very quiet at slow speeds.  Once going 25mph+ tyre noise makes most of the noise like any car. 

    Can’t you just wind your windows down and blast out some old school rave?

    I got passed by Tesla one day and tyres are pretty noisy things at 60mph. 

    October 16, 2018 at 3:56 pm #929231
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    CXR94Di2

    We Have a 18 Leaf.  The car

    We Have a 18 Leaf.  The car emits a sound below 30 mph to aid pedestrians and other users to hear it.  It is very quiet at slow speeds.  Once going 25mph+ tyre noise makes most of the noise like any car. 

    October 16, 2018 at 3:34 pm #929229
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    kil0ran

    I think its a question on

    I think its a question on relying on all your senses – you can see something before you hear it and I certainly listen on approach to blind junctions. Of course that doesn’t account for other cyclists so it’s still a case of approaching with caution. I think over 20mph road noise from tyres is loud enough, particularly in quiter environments. There’s bloke with a monster eBike where I live and that thing sounds like turbo trainer as it goes past.

    October 16, 2018 at 3:15 pm #929227
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    aegisdesign

    It’s like that Garmin rear

    It’s like that Garmin rear radar thingy. What are you supposed to do with the information that there is a car behind you?

    October 16, 2018 at 2:53 pm #929225
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    AfterPeak
    harragan wrote:
    or should we have noises added to our bikes?

     

    Some may argue cyclists should however I would say I average 15/16mph wereas a electric car will zoom passed at twice that.

     

    October 16, 2018 at 12:28 pm #929223
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    HarryTrauts

    My experience has been that

    My experience has been that there is very little noise from EVs when they are moving at slow speeds.  I’ve been surprised by a Prius in a car park more than once. 

    When out on the open road, they make plenty of noise, a surprising amount, in fact.  This is through contact between the road surface and tyres.  Very recently I was aware of a car approaching from behind and as it passed me I realised it was a Nissan Leaf.  I’d heard it coming well before it was close by and the sound was virtually the same as a petrol car.

    We’ve become used to motorised vehicles making a noise and many people don’t bother to look as a result.  If you can’t hear it, it’s not there.  It may take time but we’ll soon work it out that we have to use our eyes and ears to cross a road safely.  This way, it will also benefit cyclists – or should we have noises added to our bikes?

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