Sir, – In the interest of pedestrian safety, electric vehicles in future will be required to emit a sound equivalent to that emitted by an internal combustion engine (Home News, July 1st).
This has a downside. When electric vehicles become ubiquitous, traffic noise levels will remain unchanged, and one of the great advantages of using electric vehicles – their quietness – will be lost.
A better solution would be to require pedestrians to wear a device which emits an audible warning when an electric vehicle approaches. The device could be activated by a radio signal transmitted by the vehicle.
In time, when pedestrians adapt to electric vehicles, the devices could be dispensed with, allowing all to enjoy quiet motoring. – Yours, etc,
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PETER LYNCH,
Dublin 16.