Washington, DC - Representatives Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-NY) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) will announce the introduction of legislation intended to protect the blind and other pedestrians from injury or death as a result of silent vehicle technology at a press conference on Wednesday.  The legislation is supported by the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people.

Date:              Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Time:             12:00 p.m.

Place:            Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2247
                       Washington, DC 20515

Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently.  Other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, bicyclists, runners, and small children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines.  Many new vehicles, particularly those using hybrid or electric engine technology, are silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other.  This bill will ensure the safety of pedestrians who, for whatever reason, do not see a vehicle approaching and are placed at risk for injury or even death.

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