Carmakers to be obliged to fit engine-like sound device in hybrids

Friday 16th October, 03:45 AM JST

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15 Comments

Loganinippon at 08:28 AM JST - 16th October

Why not use the classic vehicle sound from the Jetson's cartoon?
Sarge at 08:46 AM JST - 16th October

This is ridiculous. Car ( and trucks and BIKES! ) already make enough noise.
Here we have a nice quiet-running car ( its tires rolling on the road still make the same amount of noise as any other car ) and the government wants to make it noisier.

"Too quiet for people on the streets"

How about people don't walk on the streets except at the crosswalk when the light turns green and the green light music starts playing?
TumbleDry at 10:13 AM JST - 16th October

I vote for the garbage truck tune.
Altria at 10:31 AM JST - 16th October

Can we at least have a bit of heavy rock playing in the background?

It would make driving a Prius so much cooler than it already is.
S7ro9kGm3aQ at 12:00 PM JST - 16th October

I wonder if the orange-haired, minicar-driving, low class brigade will be able to replace their ridiculous "sports" mufflers with an equally obnoxious digital auditory equivalent?

I hope not.
USNinJapan2 at 01:13 PM JST - 16th October

This is so stupid on so many levels. Put the noise makers on bicycles, not hybrid cars. I'm more afraid of getting hit from behind by a jackass riding a bike on the sidewalk while using a cell phone than I am of not noticing a vehicle.
nandakandamanda at 03:02 PM JST - 16th October

On TV the other day they showed an experiment with a long line/queue of hard-of hearing and visually-challenged people.

Cars were coming up the road from behind them and they had to raise their hands when they became aware of a car approaching. The Hybrid was well past them before two or three hesitantly raised their hands.

As USNin above points out, bicycles are potentially very dangerous here too. No lights at night, no ringing of the bell, umbrella in one hand, keitai in the other, etc. Luckily Japanese people rarely oil their bikes, so they let out a sudden and massive heart-attack squeal when they apply the brakes. I agree that not only Hybrids, but bikes too should have some wheel flutter or something to warn people of their approach.
JoelR at 10:07 PM JST - 16th October

Or... like people could pay attention when they cross the street... I mean how hard is it to look both ways before crossing the street. The Quiet is one of the reasons I would buy an Electric based car. Heck if they did add such a device.. I am sure 10 secs with a pair of pliers would fix it.
Azrael at 04:29 AM JST - 17th October

Whatever happened to sound pollution? Traffic emissions and sound have been classified as pollutants decades ago - and now that a solution arises, it's bad? This is absurd. At least if traffic sound becomes a must, change it! Why must it be "car-like?" A modern sound would be nicer.

Actually, I also vote for the Jetsons cartoon sound e.e;. This is the land of kawaii, let car designers use their imagination for a better solution.
Klein2 at 07:59 AM JST - 17th October

Right on target Sarge. Please step up and claim your prize.

Although the Jetsons sound is very well chosen, I have a contender. The Disneyland Electric Light Parade tune should be in the running. Good luck getting THAT out of your head, people.

Why not let people choose a tune? Or Dustin Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy) HEY WATCH OUT! I'M DRIVING HERE!! Or if people really have to be dull, can drivers at least choose from a list of engine sounds, such as 73 Impala Station Wagon, or Early Harley Davidson, or My Ford Threw a Rod, or Mad Max Interceptor (Turbocharged).
PleasureGelf at 07:59 AM JST - 17th October

Lots of Japanese streets don't have a sidewalk and people here often prefer walking on the street anyway. Just the other day I had a misfortune of riding by an elementary school right after the classes finished. A group of first graders was standing smack in the middle of the street engaged in whatever captures little boys' attention at the moment and another boy's pursuit led him from one side of the street to another. Customarily I rang the bell a five times, to no avail and I had to slow down to a crawl. Of course the wandering boy walked into my bike as soon as I stopped. So much for the warning sound
sf2k at 02:00 PM JST - 17th October

can i get the road-runner meep-meep car-tone? itunes for cars
presto345 at 09:16 PM JST - 17th October

"Carmakers to be obliged" / "transport ministry considering" - two different things. Nothing has as yet been decided. But in this country where development of motorized traffic has outpaced the construction of proper, safe roads long, long ago; where vehicles progress at very different speeds with even pedestrians sharing the same roads, with no regard for anyone else's rights or safety, where clear rules do not even exist or are observed or are enforced, where powered vehicles of the future today crowd yesterday's trails, the easy way out is for everything and everyone to produce a noise, noise, noise . . . Japan, the land of noise.
borscht at 11:09 PM JST - 17th October

How about drivers being required to sound their horn when approaching people who are blind. Of course, the blind will have to wear bright orange jackets so as to be easily identified.

I understand the plight of the blind when it comes to quiet in the streets. I'm being facetious in the above paragraph. I just hope the government comes up with something better than making noise like a gas-guzzler; I want to buy a quiet car not a noise maker. Perhaps we can put cards in our spokes?
dontpanic at 05:27 PM JST - 21st October

Cards in the wheel spokes is as good an idea as any. At least you will be able to tell whether the car is speeding along or not, near or far etc.

This is a health & safety nightmare in the making. Unless the government sets a standard, car makers could choose the wrong engine sound, pitch or volume and end up on the receiving end of some nasty litigation.