I’m not sure that electric and self-driving cars are getting much good press these days, despite the growing need for action to reduce carbon emissions.
This new study isn’t going to do anything to make people feel better about making the switch, I’m afraid, as research shows they’re also twice as likely to hit pedestrians.
In addition, accidents are more likely in urban environments.
The researchers propose in their paper that the reasons for this have to do with the eco-friendly engines being quieter than gas-powered ones.
Even though electric and hybrid vehicles are required to make noise, the fact is that among the typical sounds of urban life, they may not be loud enough.
Basically, pedestrians neither hear nor see them coming.
The researchers focused on traffic safety data from 2013-2017, looking at more than 96,000 pedestrian accidents with motor vehicles.
74% of the accidents involved fossil fuel vehicles, while 2% happened with electric or hybrid cars, which accurately reflects the current market.
The accidents with pedestrians, though, were out of proportion, according to author Phil Edwards.
“Given the damaging impacts of air pollution from petrol and diesel cars, overall electric cars are almost certainly better for our health, but our research shows that more needs to be done to reduce the risk they pose to pedestrians, particularly in noisy urban environments.”
Their team proposes an awareness campaign or features like autonomous braking.
They also propose a future study that examines the age of the drivers in these accidents to determine whether inexperience could also be a factor.
In the meantime, look both ways. Because you definitely can’t rely on your ears alone.
If you think that’s impressive, check out this story about a “goldmine” of lithium that was found in the U.S. that could completely change the EV battery game.