In an effort to make them more noticeable, a Department of Transport proposal would see electric cars be equipped with noisemakers..Regulators said pedestrians and bicyclists are likelier to be run over by a quietly humming electric car than a conventional one, said Blacklock’s Reporter..“I wasn’t aware of this,” said Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada. “They didn’t talk to us.”.The transport department proposed a regulation to require that all electrics carry noisemakers or “synthetic sound generators that emulate the sound of typical internal combustion engine vehicles.”.“They are quieter, that’s for sure,” admitted Breton. “It is especially true this time of year when cars are running on summer tires.”.From 2013 to 2017, electric cars killed 22 pedestrians and bicyclists and injured 1,514 others in Canada..Pedestrians were 20% more likely to be run over by an electric car than a gas or diesel burner, said the department..It gets even worse for those who prefer to pedal —bicyclists were 50% more likely to be hit by an electric vehicle, based on data from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration..In Canada, an average of 1,900 people a year die in traffic..The department said it had special concerns for the blind who “rely on audible signals when navigating in the vicinity of traffic.”.Breton said a larger issue is connected to modern technology..“The issue is people who are walking along the street looking at their smartphones,” he said..The U.S. mandated noisemakers on electric cars in 2016, while the European Union introduced regulations in 2019. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra did not say when the Canadian regulations would be enforced..“Our government is committed to protecting vulnerable road users,” Alghabra said in a statement..“By adding more sound to hybrid and electric vehicles we can reduce collisions.”.Last year, electric cars for 3.5% of national sales, by Statistics Canada estimate..In BC, where buyers are eligible for an additional $3,000 rebate, electrics comprised 8% of car sales last year..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
