Autoblog

1. How about instead of having a loud car, don't drive into kids. He was riding in the middle of the road. You saw him, mom. And you probably pressed the gas.

If my mom were the type of person to complain about her hybrid being too quiet, I'd probably want to get hit by a car too.

Posted at 2:16PM on May 8th 2008 by John Johnson

2. The mom the article is referring to is the mom of the boy that got hit, not the Prius driver.

And just how do you hit a boy on a bike? Especially if he is in the middle of the street which you clearly should be looking at. I'm not saying the boy is not at fault because clearly riding in the middle of the street is not smart, but I mean come on, hitting something in the middle of the street is something that could be easily avoided.

Posted at 2:25PM on May 8th 2008 by E$

3. I've seen several occasions where kids on bikes just bolt out onto the street right in front of me from their driveways. Riding on the sidewalk too and not looking to see if there's a car coming.

It's almost as if they don't want to be aware, thus not wanting to live. It's up to the parents to educate the child.

Posted at 2:31PM on May 8th 2008 by Ben

4. ...and I drive a noisy car.

Posted at 2:32PM on May 8th 2008 by Ben

5. Same way in my neighborhood. My house is at the bottom of a hill, at the end of a road with a stop sign. The downhill road makes like a T with the main road. Skateboarding kids love to ride down the hill, then across the main road (and sometimes right into our yard). One kid was coming down as a car was driving, smacked into the side of the car.

I've never smiled so big in all my life.

Posted at 2:37PM on May 8th 2008 by John Johnson

6. I feel so special... an article I tipped actually got posted. I'm a friggin celebrity! Please, no autographs.

But for the rest of you lesser people... in the interview with the kid he said he turned directly in front of the car because he didn't hear it... not the drivers fault at ALL IMHO.

Posted at 3:25PM on May 8th 2008 by EskimoPie

7. A bike in the road has to follow the same rules as a car on the road. Let me pull out in front of a car because I didn't hear it, lemme know how my insurance company will like that.

Before you go anywhere on the road, you look. The car and the bike were trying to occupy the same space at the same time. One of them didn't check to see if the space was occupied. That is all.

And way to go getting a story posted, I'd feel good too :)

Posted at 3:30PM on May 8th 2008 by John Johnson

8. Two vehicles were involved, the cycle is more quiet than the car,
where's the argument now? One driver required a test and had been
licensed to drive on a public road. The other was not. Who was in
charge of the childs road safety education? Of course the mother that
blames anyone but herself teaches her child to blame others too. Ah
the cycle of abuse continues.

Posted at 8:45PM on May 8th 2008 by smtbne

9. C'mon- didn't this mom ever teach her son not to play in the street? And why couldn't the driver not see something this big in the road? This has nothing to do with the noise level of the car it has everything to do with not paying attention to our surroundings. It's like they say... guns hurt people and really it's the person that pulled the trigger, not the gun.

Posted at 11:09PM on May 8th 2008 by RaNae

10. I almost got hit by a, believe it or not, Tesla Roadster while I was road biking. Man, that thing was quiet as hell. I only caught the noise of the tires when it was about 20-30 feet from me. After it passed me, all I heard was gentle purr of the electric motor, and the tires for a couple of seconds, then nothing.

Personally, I think, people riding bikes on the street or anywhere where cars transit should always pay more attention. That's what I do every time I'm on my bike, because I've had more than a couple close encounters with peoples doors, hoods and bumpers.

Posted at 1:00AM on May 9th 2008 by Logik

11. What? That kid got hit riding in the middle of the street?

Well the child's mother certainly knew that children are exempt from all traffic laws.

I suppose that hybrid driver will know in the future to always use an aftermarket jet sound speaker system.

Posted at 2:16PM on May 8th 2008 by SPG

12. I wonder if they will let owners pick what kind of noise they want their car to make?

Could you imagine hearing stampeding buffaloes and then see a Prius driving up? LMAO!

Posted at 2:21PM on May 8th 2008 by John

13. *link to that horn blasters trainhorn website goes here*

Posted at 2:46PM on May 8th 2008 by yacoub

14. http://hornblasters.com/

Posted at 5:15PM on May 8th 2008 by Chris

15. I love the buffalo herd idea. I drive a total electric vehicle. I'm having a visual now with audio!!! LMAO I'll probably mount a speaker in the nose of it and play "electric Avenue" over and over again. Or President Bush repeating "weapons of mass destruction".... Too funny.

That's one of the joys of driving electric, I don't need my radio to cover the road noise, just roll down the window and enjoy the peace.

Posted at 10:01PM on May 8th 2008 by jay

16. I know what kind of a noise I'D want if I ever bought one of thos "silent" cars: that noise would be "GET THE F*** OUTTA MY WAY, YOU MORON !!!!!"

Posted at 12:48AM on May 9th 2008 by JPuzzleWhiz

17. if you're in the middle of the street, and you hear a car coming, isn't it already too late? nowadays you can't hear cars coming a mile away, whether they're hybrid or not

Posted at 2:22PM on May 8th 2008 by k.w.a

18. Cars can drive much faster than they used to. You'd more likely see it than hear it.

Posted at 10:30PM on May 8th 2008 by Kite

19. Unreported in the news wire release was the fact that Mrs. Erickson recently sued McDonalds for millions after spilling hot coffee on herself, before that she sue ABC television and AT&T for making the Oprah Whinfery show so compelling she could not stop talking about it with a friend on her mobile phone driving, which resulted in Mrs. Erickson receiving a citation for driving 21 m.p.h. in the left lane of a busy freeway. Film at 11.

Posted at 2:24PM on May 8th 2008 by Todd

20. I've always been a proponent of adding jet engine noises blasting over loud speakers to all hybrids

Posted at 2:25PM on May 8th 2008 by Dan