The NHTSA has started looking into whether EVs and hybrids made before 1997 should be required to make the same sounds to warn pedestrians as those made after 1997. The federal safety agency has already implemented Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141. It says all-electric and hybrid cars under 10,000 pounds with a model year after 2020 must have a sound to warn pedestrians. Because an estimated 9.1 million cars may need to be recalled to add a pedestrian alert, it may be hard for the NHTSA to make a new rule for older models. One difference between electric and hybrid cars is that they don’t sound like regular cars with engines that burn gas. They’re reticent, which could be dangerous. A few years ago, the law said that all new EVs and hybrids had to come with a pedestrian warning sound. The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) is investigating whether pre-1997 EVs and combinations should be compelled to generate warning sounds. A person sent a petition in July 2022 led to the investigation. The person who filed the complaint wants the new rule and backs it up with a 2018 law (FMVSS 141) that says electric and hybrid cars that weigh less than 10,000 pounds must have pedestrian warning sounds. The petition states that it is unfair that hybrid and electric cars made in the past were not held to the same standards as those made now. The law was made to protect people who are blind or visually impaired and use sounds to cross the street. The Pedestrian Safety Improvement Act of 2010 was passed and effective in January 2011, bringing this issue to light, according to NHTSA data. The NHTSA says about nine million hybrid and electric cars do not have built-in alarms. All of these vehicles could be required to be fixed up, which would be hard for automakers and people who own older cars. Take the Takata airbag recall. Because of safety concerns, more than 70 million airbags had to be fixed. Honda and other car companies have been trying for years to get owners of older models to bring their cars in for new airbags. It might be hard or even impossible to find all of the more than 9 million people who bought hybrid or electric vehicles more than 26 years ago. The NHTSA decided not to say anything as long as the investigation was ongoing.
