When vision is reduced or completely eliminated as a means of understanding and responding to one’s environment, an individual’s hearing takes over as the primary source of environmental information. Traditionally, people who are blind or visually impaired have learned to rely on their hearing to navigate safely across streets and through other vehicular ways, such as parking lots. In so doing, the sound of traffic is their primary focus. Traffic sounds provide information about such things as the position of vehicles, their direction of travel, and the speed at which they are likely to move. With this information, the pedestrian can make informed decisions about when to cross a street or other vehicular way safely.
In recent years, automobile manufacturers around the world have responded to public concern for our environment by producing increasing numbers of vehicles that are meant to be environmentally friendly. This has led to an increased number of vehicles on the road which not only utilize alternative fuels to power their engines, but also run much more quietly than older automobiles did. Though many aspects of this trend are laudatory, efforts by the auto industry to make the environment less noisy have placed pedestrians who use that noise to evaluate the safety or danger of the area in which they are traveling at serious risk. Anecdotal reports of pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired indicate that these environmentally friendly vehicles are extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to hear.
The American Council of the Blind urges Congress to pass a resolution in support of research by both government and private entities into means by which the issues outlined above can be addressed. We believe that Congress should provide the U.S. Department of Transportation, or other appropriate federal agencies, with funding for such research, should direct that the agencies conduct such research in a timely manner and report back to Congress at its conclusion with recommendations, and should direct that appropriate federal agencies have the authority to commence implementation of recommended solutions within two years after the passage of this legislation.
The American Council of the Blind urges members of both the United States Senate and House of Representatives to adopt the following concurrent resolution:
Whereas, when the ability to see is reduced or completely eliminated as a means of understanding and interpreting the environment, hearing takes over as the primary source for environmental information; and
Whereas, people who are blind or visually impaired rely on their sense of hearing to navigate safely across streets and through other hazardous vehicular ways such as parking lots; and
Whereas, cyclists, young children and other pedestrians also use the sense of hearing to assist them in safe navigation over the public rights of way; and
Whereas, vehicle manufacturers are producing cars, buses and trucks that are increasingly quiet to such an extent that persons both blind and sighted find them difficult or impossible to hear; and
Whereas, the auto insurance industry has a long history of conducting research on traffic and pedestrian safety issues; and
Whereas, various entities have done, are doing, or are considering research on this problem, including members of the auto industry, academia, and professionals in the field of orientation and mobility; and
Whereas, those working on the problem should increase the degree of collaboration with one another;
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, that it is the sense of the Congress that:
1. The U.S. Department of Transportation or other appropriate federal agencies should receive funding to research technologies and propose standards that would allow a blind or visually impaired pedestrian to independently identify vehicles while traversing streets or vehicular ways;
2. That the department should provide a report to Congress that would detail its findings as well as a proposed timeline for their implementation by manufacturers of automobiles, buses, trucks and other motorized vehicles; and
3. That the department shall have the authority to implement its recommendations regarding standards for vehicle manufacture two years after the passage of this act.
For further information, contact Eric Bridges, American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th St. NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005; phone (202) 467-5081; e-mail ebridges@acb.org.