Quiet Cars

On December 9, the Senate adopted S. 841, Senator John Kerry’s “quiet car” bill (as amended by the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this summer), by unanimous consent.  Assuming the bill becomes law, NHTSA will have 18 months from the date of enactment to propose a regulation establishing performance requirements for an alert sound that allows blind and other pedestrians to reasonably detect a nearby electric or hybrid vehicle operating below the certain speed.  Under the law, within 3 years of the final rule being published, all new electric or hybrid vehicles would need to provide an alert sound conforming to the performance requirements established by NHTSA.  NHTSA is required to finalize the rule within 36 months of the bill being enacted.