Study finds 1 in 5 people in Wales have experienced ‘collision or near miss’ with electric car

Optician drives campaign around ‘silent killers’ as study finds 1 in 5 have experienced ‘collision or near miss’ with electric car

• One in five (81%) of residents in Wales believe that silent electric cars pose a serious danger to pedestrians
• Visually impaired woman’s life saved in near miss with electric car
• Vision Express reinvigorates road safety campaign to: Stop, LOOK, Listen to demonstrate importance of sight.

 Almost one in five people in Wales have had a collision or near miss on the roads with a noiseless electric or hybrid car, says research released for Road Safety Week 2019 (18-24 November) by Vision Express.

It found 81 per cent of people feel unsafe because of quiet electric and hybrid cars. There are 250,000 currently on UK roads, with as many as nine million predicted by 2030¹.

Almost half (45%) identified noiseless electric and hybrid engines as a more significant road safety risk than satnavs and Bluetooth systems.

Vision Express is raising awareness about the issue and is backing Brake’s ‘Step up for Safe Streets’ campaign with a call to reinvent the Green Cross Code’s Stop, Look, Listen message with a greater emphasis on ‘LOOK’ and the importance of regular eye tests to help safeguard sight.

Visually-impaired pedestrian Debra Roffey, 52, and faithful guide dog Crystal, five, were nearly hit by a silent electric car along the seafront at Paignton in November 2017. Debra said: “Electric cars are silent killers. A passer-by grabbed me, pulling me and Crystal out of the way of one. There was no warning. There was no noise and no fumes from an exhaust, so Crystal didn’t pick up on the fact there was a car behind us on the seafront pathway. We could have been seriously injured or worse.

“I back Vision Express’s Stop, LOOK, Listen campaign 100 per cent. It is ridiculous that there are so many noiseless electric cars on the road – I’ve nothing against electric cars but they should all have sound systems so people know they are there.”

Debra, from Lamerton, Tavistock, has optical atrophy, and just ten per cent vision in her left eye, with her right eye completely blind. She said: “I only go outside with Crystal and always put my life in her hands. What happened has definitely damaged my confidence so something needs to be done.”

Dubbed ‘silent killers’ thanks to soundless engines, an EU law passed this year means new electric and hybrid vehicles must be fitted with an audio signal system and by July 2021 all electric and hybrid vehicles need to have one.

However, the system could be turned off by the driver, and the Vision Express study of 2,000 by One Poll shows that among people from Wales:

• Around one in three (34%) would disable the pedestrian sound alert.
• 17% of respondents would not want to have such a system installed.
• Less than half (37%) were aware of the law on use of these sound systems.

Dan McGhee, Director of Professional Services, at Vision Express said: “There could be nine million electric and hybrid cars on the road by 2030 and we know that 85% of adults admit having problems with their vision². With these statistics in mind, we wanted to launch a campaign that drives awareness to the vital LOOK and the importance of maintaining regular eye checks to stay road safe. As part of our research, 74 per cent believe Stop Look Listen is still a relevant road safety message in light of hazards on our roads, so we are encouraging all those who have been putting eye tests off to act now with a free eye test at Vision Express.”

To drive home the importance of ‘look’ as part of Stop LOOK Listen, during Road Safety Week, Vision Express is offering free eye tests, via an online voucher, redeemable across its network of 600 stores nationwide. To download the voucher visit: www.visionexpress.com

Vision Express will also be taking its hi-tech mobile eye testing unit, the Vision Van, on the road for Road Safety Week. It will be visiting Swindon, Northampton and Basildon offering comprehensive eye screenings to members of the public. See www.visionexpress.com/vision-van/ for further information.

Vision Express is supporting Brake’s call for safer streets amid reports from the charity that every 20 minutes someone is killed or seriously injured on a British road and each of these tragedies is preventable.

Leading charity Guide Dogs for the Blind revealed in a study that pedestrians are 40 per cent more likely to be hit by a hybrid or electric car than a petrol or diesel engine³.

The audio signal system is called Audible Vehicle Alert System, or AVAS. By 1 July 2021, all new vehicles irrespective of their type must be fitted with AVAS. The added sound must have a minimum volume of 56 decibels when standing 50 metres from the vehicle. To find out more visit: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/electric-and-hybrid-cars-new-rules-noise-emitting-protect-vulnerable-road-users_en