Louisiana Tech University's Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB) is probing noise safety standards of electric and hybrid cars to ascertain whether the sound is safe enough for pedestrians, including blinds.
The PDRIB is currently conducting trials involving humans who are blind and blindfolded to determine how pedestrians get warning from the sound produced by such vehicles.
Louisiana Tech's PDRIB director Dr. Edward Bell said: "Louisiana Tech University is at the forefront in innovative research in the area of education and rehabilitation for the blind, and the work we are doing here will be used to make the world a safer place for blind (and sighted) pedestrians in the future.
"We are proud to represent Louisiana Tech and are confident in the impact that our research will have on the United Nations and auto manufacturers as they seek to make vehicles that are both environmentally friendly and safe for pedestrians."
The World Blind Union (WBU) has teamed up with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) to collaborate with the United Nations for codifying an international standard for such sound.
The standard would mandate all electric and hybrid vehicles to install a device, called Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), for generating sound.
During the trials by the institute, electric vehicles selectively accorded with AVAS were deployed.
Such vehicles were driven in front of them and the minimum distance from which such sound can be heard was recorded. Though real-life testing is yet to be conducted, it was found during the trial that the sound level was not adequate enough to alert pedestrians.
World Blind Union first vice-president Dr. Fredric Schroeder said: "Without the real-life testing of the alert device by Dr. Bell and his team, we would have no way of knowing whether the proposed technical committee standard will safeguard blind pedestrians or leave them subject to preventable accidents and injury.
"There are 258 million blind and visually impaired people in the world. Without the help of Dr. Bell and Louisiana Tech University, the independence of these individuals would be seriously limited."
