Petition urges UN to protect public from dangers of silent vehicles

More than 6300 people have signed a petition calling on the United Nations to ensure that electric and hybrid vehicles are audible to ensure the safety of all pedestrians.

Guide Dogs handed in the petition today to the Department of Transport ahead of a UN meeting in Geneva on 1st September. The UK Government will be involved in the UN negotiations which will discuss fitting quiet hybrid and electric vehicles with artificial sound generators.

The petition was launched back in March this year when Guide Dogs teamed up with Paralympian Libby Clegg to call on the public to back a change.org petition, to protect pedestrians from the dangers posed by quiet cars. 

Quiet hybrid and electric vehicles are 40% more likely to collide with pedestrians than cars with a regular combustion engine¹. Guide Dogs wants the Government to negotiate at the UN so that all quiet vehicles to have sound generating systems built-in and turned on at all times, to limit the risk for pedestrians. 

As the numbers of quiet electric and hybrid vehicles on our roads continues to increase Guide Dogs believes that the risk to pedestrians living with sight loss is growing significantly, as many rely on being able to hear a car to cross the road safely.

Guide Dogs Public Affairs Manager Jennifer Keen commented:

“The United Nations meeting is a great opportunity for the Government to stop quiet cars putting the lives of pedestrians, especially those with vision impairments, at risk. I hope this petition will help the Government to keep the thousands of people campaigning for safer streets at the front of their minds while they are negotiating in Geneva” 

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You can find out more about the campaign by signing up for our campaigns updatesor by visiting Guide Dog's website.