Utah State Prof Says Hybrids Don't Kill More Pedestrians

thecarchik writes "Preliminary data seemed to show that hybrids were more likely to be involved in pedestrian crashes or hit cyclists. But now EV enthusiast Mark Larson (he's also an Emeritus Professor of Spanish at Utah State University) has analyzed some additional data and found this not to be the case at all. He used 1994-2008 figures from the Fatality Reporting System maintained by the NHTSA and found that the rate of pedestrian fatalities has in fact fallen over that same period."

Well Fuck...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Do you have any idea what welding ramming spikes to my Prius will do to my mileage?

Re:Emeritus Professor of Spanish?

[PhxBlue]

There is a simple technique that electric vehicle drivers could practice, that would solve this quietness problem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowing_a_raspberry [wikipedia.org]

I drive a hybrid, and I find I get just the right noise level by wedging a playing card between my tire and the wheel well.

This proves AQ are nice guys

[ewn1453]

Preliminary data seemed to show that Al-Qaeda were violent terrorists. But now AQ enthusiast Mark Larson (he's also an Emeritus Professor of Spanish at Utah State University) has analyzed some additional data and found this not be the case at all. He used 1988-2001 crime data from the Uniform Crime Report and found that the murder rate in fact fell over that same period.

Re:The study just involves blind people

[johanatan]

I bet it's the wedge shape of many cars nowadays. When you hit a pedestrian, it just clips their legs out from under them and they flip harmlessly over the roof of the car.

"Hybrids don't kill more pedestrians..."

[mattcoz]

"I kill more pedestrians."

Re:The study just involves blind people

[GrumblyStuff]

Indeed. I had to switch to a truck because I got tired of having to back over 'em as they crawled for help.

Re:The study just involves blind people

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

Hybrids were also twice as likely to have hit cyclists, at a rate of 0.6 percent versus 0.3 percent.

I think the evidence is clear on this one - the problem is that the hybrid drivers are green - green with envy that is. They are jealous the cyclists are even better for the environment than they are.

Re:I would say the problem is both

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

Constructor should simply add a noise to the vehicules, something akin to an ICE motor runing noise.

Oh its going to be far worse than that. Think ringtones - for your car.

The got it backwards...

[tompaulco]

It's not that hybrid cars have been killing pedestrians. It's the hybrid cars hitting pedestrians resulting in the fatality of the driver that is the problem. (tongue firmly in cheek).