The smooth (eco) criminal is here. And NHTSA wants to change that
In the WTF ad of the week, Opel Ampera-e is silently disposing of hapless bugs that think they can cross the road without consequences.
It's funny as hell, and I really mean it. It's the first ad that finally answers the question: why did the cockchafer (a.k.a May bug) cross the road? Well, here's your answer:
Because it couldn't hear the damn eco-car! SPLAT! Happy now?
On a serious note: NHTSA steps in to make electric cars noisier
Laughs aside, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just completed its "Quiet Car" rule. This new law is designed to protect pedestrians from getting run over by electric cars that they just cannot hear. Car makers will have three years to comply with the rule, and make necessary modifications to their cars.
All hybrid and electric light vehicles with four wheels and a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less will be required to make an audible noise when traveling in reverse or forward at speeds up to 30 kilometers per hour (about 19 miles per hour). At higher speeds, the sound alert is not required because other factors, such as tire and wind noise, provide the adequate audible warning to pedestrians, NHTSA says.
Hopefully, alongside 2,400 pedestrians that could go unharmed each year because of this rule, silent killers like the Ampera-e will also leave bugs alone. Peace, love, and happiness!