Hi,

These folks are trying to ride HR 5734 to a government mandated purchase of their "noise" system. They are just trying to curry favor and really don't care about the big picture. Regardless, they have issued a press release to multiple news outlets. So let's have some fun and share our comments with:

http://uk.i4u.com/article19571.html
http://www.thetechherald.com/article...et-hybrid-cars
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/ne...?news_id=17925
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...er-887124.html
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articl...oice-1238.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...t-engines.html
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...Offer-V8-Roar/
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=130248
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10007541-48.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/05/l...v8-soundtrack/

Remember these people only make money if HR 5734 is passed in the current form. The "media" that have repeated this nonsense lack the facts and data. So let's have some fun.

Facts and data:

• Prius has the same pedestrian accident rate as other cars (Dr. Hogan report)
• No blind has ever been killed by a Prius
• Adding noise to a Prius makes them exactly as dangerous at the cars that already kill 4,700 per year
• Only 5 blind die per year and mostly from pickup trucks
• 25 kids die each year under rear bumpers and exhaust pipes

The accident source is attached as well as this photo from a backover accident from the April 2008 accident report:


Facts and data are a powerful argument.

Bob Wilson

ps. I'm having difficulty uploading the NHTSA backover report but you can get it from this hybrid friendly site posting:
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hy...tml#post686961