Hybrid Cars.

Sheba · Guru

Hybrid Cars.

AmandaJayne · Guru

wow! that happened to me yesterday at the local shopping center.... I never heard it and hubby grabbed me to stop me from walkin forward!!! If we miss them.,.... think of how many distracted kids would do the same thing...... frightening really

Cruising Granny · Guru

All we can do is hope the driver sees you before the "bump". They're also very quiet inside the car.
There's more than 1 set of eyes in the car park. So while you take responsbility for your own safety, we also have to hope the driver of the silent car is also on the alert for unwary pedestrians.

lyn-n-ken · Senior Member

hey guys
dont want to be overbearing, BUT what happened to look left look right. push bikes dont make a noise ether.
i have been dreading these cars for some time now, they said they would put a small noise in them!!
my hubby is visualy impaired, he dosnt see them comming, getting harder to let him out on his own, he's nearly been nocked by a couple of pushbikes and the riders arnt to happy about that and sure let him know, they dont know he cant see. if we are walking on the road its our responsibilty to look out for cars, bikes etc.
you just cant walk out from a blind spot and hope to not get hit.
sorry if i seem annoyed but we as pedestrians have to be more aware of our suroundings. do you think the look left and right was drummed into us and weve drummed it into our own kids and grandkids for nothing.
lyn

Sheba · Guru

AmandaJayne wrote:
.,.... think of how many distracted kids would do the same thing...... frightening really
That's what was really worrying me AJ. I was walking up the side of the Van looking at my shopping list, to see which door was best to go in by. As I came to the end, [not on the blind side,] I looked up, [going to check as I always do,] and the car was less than a metre away, already stopped. I think that's what gave me such a scare. The fact that it was so close, and I couldn't hear a thing.
They certainly hadn't put a noise in that one. [Black Toyota Camry if you're in Rockhampton.]
Cheers,
Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Monday 26th of September 2011 06:36:50 PM

pauline · Guru

Forget about hybrid cars what about the younger generation who walk around with either a phone or music in their ears, they DON'T even look, car parks in shopping centres are very daunting these days, you need eyes in the back of your head. There's my whinge for the day, phew glad I got that off my chest.
Cheers

Nicholstones · Guru

Any car park in any age, particularly large ones like some of the giant shopping centres, have always needed you to drive slowly and carfeully. Little kids can run out at any time without looking, and with narrow lanes they will appear in front of your car in a flash. If you aren't prepared to drive slowly and pay attention then please park in the street instead.

pauline · Guru

I always drive slowly and pay attention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beth54 · Guru

That's pretty scary Sheba. I haven't come across any yet.

My son used to ride a motorbike fulltime and his bike was nicely muffled. But he found other people on the roads didn't realize he was there,,,even with his lights on,,so it was downright dangerous for him. So he un-muffled it a bit so all could hear him.

lyn-n-ken, maybe your hubby should be using a white cane or something, to show he's visually impaired. Others around him can't be expected to know he can't see them. I take care driving, but if he walked out in front of me, I'd be annoyed too.

Having said that, I do feel for you both. It must be a very difficult situation.

Yuglamron · Guru

I hate to say this but it will get much worse.Mitsubishi have an all electric car and there are more and more versions coming from the Big Lexus RX hybrid to the BMW and Merecedes versions.Then the hydrogen cars and soon the fuel cell cars.

I drove a Hybrid Prius for 200,000 K's and was well aware they are very quiet and drove accordingly around car parks and other areas where people would not hear me.

I had a responsibility to other road users and of course as others have said so do pedestrians.

Until such time as cars and pedestrians are totally segregated the old look left then right adage is paramount.

The number of people who drive with headphones and pedestrians with the earphones from their iPod make modern driving conditions fraught with danger.

You must drive according to the conditions and expect the unexpected.

Wombat 280 · Guru

Maybe a reversing buzzer should be mandatory as most drivers never look in the rear view mirror when reversing and the oldies just can't turn in the seat to take peek out the back.

I have some reservations with this environmental or eco friendly tag they are using to flog these vehicle off , when you consider the battery needs electric power to recharge and when buggered needs to be disposed of

elliemike · Guru

Sheba wrote:
Had my first encounter with a Hybrid Car yesterday, in the supermarket Car-park.    I've even been wishing I could afford one. Not any more.
While they may be Enironmentally friendly, I think they're also dangerous.
I stepped out from beside my Campervan, and hearing nothing, almost walked in front of the car that was coming a couple of feet away.   Luckily the driver saw me and stopped in time.
They are abolutely silent.   Normally you can hear when a vehicle is near-by, but these things in my opinion, are lethal.
Keep an eye out people. You can't trust just to your hearing anymore.
Cheers,
Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Sunday 25th of September 2011 10:30:24 PM

Well what about a person walking/running ahead of them with a red flag.

Brilliant idea, lets lobby the Minister of Transport and the Employment Minister get rid of the Dole Bludgers. As "No Brains Required" could be put in the job description

goinsoon · Guru

We have a hybrid car in opur sons back yard

It is a 74 toyota cruiser with a holden V8 engine, a webber carbie, 85 model 5 speed gearbox and a holden brake vacuum booster