Regulators push for hybrid-electric warning sound requirement for blind pedestrians

US regulators continue to push for a mandate that makers of hybrids and electric-drive vehicles install a pedestrian-warning system on their vehicles to alert blind pedestrians, the Daily Caller reports.

The US Secretary of Transportation had previously set a January 2014 deadline for a final ruling on the proposed law. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is studying the issue and has estimated that such a law may have an impact of at least $100 million on the US economy.

The issue is a topical one because hybrids and EVs are nearly silent at low speeds, creating what many say is a risk to blind pedestrians who depend on engine sounds to determine whether a car is coming.

In late 2010, the US Senate voted to approve such a law and NHTSA said it would start working on regulations for such a measure in July 2011.