The Government of Canada has announced it wants all electric and hybrid vehicles to come equipped with noisemakers as standard equipment by 2023.
In an effort to protect vulnerable road users, which the government says are at increased risk of a collision due to the quiet electric engines that emit almost no sound at low speeds, amendments will be proposed to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations to ensure these vehicles produce a minimum level of noise.
“Our government is committed to protecting vulnerable road users, and by adding more sound to hybrid and electric vehicles, we can reduce collisions. I wish to acknowledge and thank the many safety and advocacy groups – especially those who advocate for visually impaired Canadians – for their tireless efforts to raise awareness and champion this issue,” said Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra.
The government says it held consultations and received numerous submissions when coming up with the proposed regulations.
The new rules would outline specific standards automakers would have to abide by for their Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS). These sound emitters would vary in volume and pitch based on the vehicle’s speed.
To make it easier for manufacturers, Canada’s rules will align with US and international standards. In the US, the NHTSA has a regulation FMVSS 141 already in place. To comply, Tesla added pedestrian warning speakers (PWS) to the Model 3 in 2019.
The speaker is located behind the front bumper and plays a sound when travelling at 30kmh (19mph) or under. It can also fart at pedestrians with the Boombox feature added last year.
Noiseless hybrid and electric vehicles pose a safety risk to vulnerable road users. Sound emitters on these vehicles can help improve #RoadSafety. Learn more: https://t.co/pOj2tcV2XN pic.twitter.com/r81IKBeMij
— Transport Canada (@Transport_gc) April 23, 2021
