https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/concerns-raised-parliament-electric-cars-danger-horses-681653 Concerns raised in parliament over electric cars’ danger to horses 16 March, 2019 Sarah Radford
[image https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2019/03/15391380_1355784697800054_1586142087495910885_o-920x518.jpg ] An MP has raised concerns in Parliament over the danger silent electric cars pose to horses on the roads. Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset, questioned transport minister Jesse Norman MP about whether protective measures would be brought in to safeguard riders as the use of environmentally friendly vehicles increases. Mr Hoare, whose wife and three daughters ride, and who has ridden himself since childhood, said that while electric cars are “environmentally welcome”, their silence often presents “a huge problem for riders” owing to the “nervousness that is often caused in horses by these silent vehicles either going past or accelerating from a stop”. “Will my hon. friend take this issue up with the car manufacturers to see what can be done to ensure that there is safety and environmentalism on our rural roads?” Mr Hoare asked the transport minister on 14 February. Mr Norman replied that the government has recently been working to acknowledge horse riders within the Highway Code review, noting the “importance that we place on close passing”. “(Mr hon friend] will also be aware that electric cars make a noise above a certain speed because of vehicle tyre slap. At low speeds, vehicle type approval regulations will mandate sound generators on new electric and hybrid electric vehicles from July this year,” he said. Mr Hoare told H&H he had been motivated to raise the question in the House of Commons after a silent vehicle passed a friend of his who was riding, making the horse “go bananas”. [image] Driver caught on camera skidding past horse at speed gets ‘advice’ from police Hat camera footage shows the car veering dangerously near the horse [image] ‘Like running the London Marathon’: five-year-old disabled rider takes on charity trek Doctors said Daniel Lee Barrett wouldn’t survive past the age of two “What seems to trouble horses is not the speed of the car but the movement when there is no sound, particularly when a car has pulled in to allow horses to go past and then suddenly starts to move with no warning,” he said. “It has been one of the unintended consequences of electric vehicles, and I am not blaming manufacturers or users, improving air quality has to be welcomed, as does less reliance on fossil fuels.” The Conservative MP said he was “really pleased to hear from the minister that regulations are now in place so that all new electric vehicles will produce a noise at low speeds.” The new guidelines will not apply to vehicles on the road before July 2019. [© horseandhound.co.uk] [ref http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Horsemen-uk-fear-quiet-EVs-koch-koolaid-tp4692977.html Horsemen.uk fear quiet EVs (?koch-koolaid?) %The EV community has already dealt with complaints from the blind, enacting laws that require EVs be noisy [ http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=blind+quiet+safe&days=0 ]. Now, horse riders complain... Horse rider safety fears over quieter electric cars Mar 04 2019 ... Simon Hoare has concerns about horse rider safety with increasing numbers of electric cars ... CONCERNS have been raised about dangers for horse riders with increasing numbers of quieter electric cars. North Dorset MP Simon Hoare quizzed transport minister Jesse Norman MP on the matter in relation to what assessments had been made for the safety needs of horse riders on the public highway. Mr Hoare asked if the issue around electric cars could be taken up with manufacturers. "The rise of electric vehicles is, of course, environmentally welcome. However, their silence often presents a huge problem for riders, horses and, indeed, other road users as a result of the nervousness that is often caused in horses by these silent vehicles either going past or accelerating from a stop," said Mr Hoare. Mr Norman said horse riders are recognised in the highway code, with the importance placed on the avoidance of close passing. "At low speeds, vehicle type approval regulations will mandate sound generators on new electric and hybrid electric vehicles from July this year," said Mr Norman. He added that the area was being reviewed by the Department for Transport. ] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/archive/ {brucedp.neocities.org} -- Sent from: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/ _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
