Feds to require hybrid, electric cars to make noise

WASHINGTON — New hybrid and electric cars will be required to make noise at low speeds so that pedestrians, especially those who are blind or have poor eyesight, will hear them coming, under a rule released Monday by the Obama administration.

The new rule could help prevent about 2,400 pedestrian injuries a year once all hybrids on the road are equipped to make noise, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

With more, quieter hybrid and electrical cars on the road, the ability for all pedestrians to hear as well as see the cars becomes an important factor of reducing the risk of possible crashes and improving safety.