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Should electric cars be made to go 'vroom'?
2011-05-18 11:12:32
17 May 2011 Last updated at 10:22 Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Should electric cars be made to go 'vroom'? By Nick Holland BBC News
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// Blind pedestrians - used to petrol vehicle noise, dogs trained to respond to these noises Children - easily distracted Older people with hearing difficulties Cyclists"Guide dogs are obviously trained to respond to the noises of vehicles," says Andrea Cooper, a student at the university who has been blind since birth.
"So obviously I think it's incredibly important for the sounds of the engines to reflect traditional engines sounds that we are used to."
The more you delve into the issue the more apparent the complications become.
How loud they should these vehicles be? Do they need to make a noise when they are stopped at the traffic lights? How would hundreds of unmatched vehicle noises sound altogether on our streets?
Researchers at Warwick University intend to make the results of their research available to the EU, which is planning to legislate on electric and hydrogen car sounds sometime in 2011.
The conclusions will determine the noise you hear when you open your window 20 years from now.