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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=ebridges@acb.org href="mailto:ebridges@acb.org">Eric Bridges</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=leadership@acb.org
href="mailto:leadership@acb.org">leadership@acb.org</A> ; <A
title=announce@acb.org href="mailto:announce@acb.org">announce@acb.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:14 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [leadership] Background Paper for Legislative Seminar
H.R.734-S.841</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Quiet Vehicles: Safety Issues for Blind
Pedestrians<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Legislative Imperative<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">2010
A<st1:PersonName w:st="on">CB</st1:PersonName> Legislative
Seminar<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Background<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">When vision is reduced or
completely eliminated as a means of understanding and responding to one’s
environment, an individual’s hearing takes over as the primary source of
environmental information. Traditionally, people who are blind or visually
impaired have learned to rely on their hearing to navigate safely across streets
and through other vehicular ways, such as parking lots. In so doing, the
sound of traffic is their primary focus. Traffic sounds provide
information about such things as the position of vehicles, their direction of
travel, and the speed at which they are likely to move. With this
information, the pedestrian can make informed decisions about when to cross a
street or other vehicular way safely.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">In recent years, automobile
manufacturers around the world have responded to public concern for our
environment by producing increasing numbers of vehicles that are meant to be
environmentally friendly. This has led to an increased number of vehicles
on the road which not only utilize alternative fuels to power their engines, but
also run much more quietly than older automobiles did. Though many aspects
of this trend are laudatory, efforts by the auto industry to make the
environment less noisy have placed pedestrians who use that noise to evaluate
the safety or danger of the area in which they are traveling at serious risk.
</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">A recent report from the
N<st1:PersonName w:st="on">at</st1:PersonName>ional Highway Traffic Safety
Administr<st1:PersonName w:st="on">at</st1:PersonName>ion, concluded
th<st1:PersonName w:st="on">at</st1:PersonName> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">at</st1:PersonName> low speeds hybrid and electric vehicles are twice
as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians as vehicles with internal
combustion engines.</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Legislative Action<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The American Council of the Blind
urges Congress to pass this legislation (H.R. 734, the Pedestrian Safety
Enhancement Act of 2009, introduced by Rep. <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Ed</st1:PersonName>olphus Towns (D-NY); companion bill S.841, the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, introduced by Sen. John Kerry
(D-MA)). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Key
Provisions of the Bill<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<OL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=1>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><B><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The Secretary of
Transportation is directed to conduct a study beginning within 90 days of
passage of this legislation and to complete it within two years of its
commencement, at which time, the Department of Transportation shall report the
study's findings to Congress.<BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><B><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Within 90 days after
the conclusion of the study, the Secretary is then directed to establish a
standard that will take into account the results of the study, and will set
forth the minimum information that must be provided by motor vehicles required
for blind and other pedestrians to travel safely and independently in urban,
rural, and residential environments.<BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><B><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The bill provides
that the standard shall apply to all "new motor
vehicles."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B> </LI></OL>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>leadership mailing
list<BR>leadership@acb.org<BR>http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/leadership<BR></BODY></HTML>