Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#51

Post by ubercore » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:19 AM UTC

lynx23 wrote: post #22

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

I was very excited about EVs reducing the noise level in my city. Until I realized that most of the noise of a modern car actually comes from the tires. There sin't much difference between a modern non-EV car and an EV, sadly.

IME you're right, but the cars we hear in a city are the outliers, not a nice modern quiet car. It definitely, in my experience, reduces overall noise to have a lot of electric vehicles.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#52

Post by boudin » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:19 AM UTC

detaro wrote: post #29

lynx23 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was very excited about EVs reducing the noise level in my city. Until I realized that most of the noise of a modern car actually comes from the tires. There sin't much difference between a modern non-EV car and an EV, sadly.

Really depends on the speeds. At slower speeds in residential areas the difference is noticeable, especially when cars stop and accelerate again. On larger faster roads not so much.

It depends a lot on weather and materials used to make roads.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#53

Post by DrBazza » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:19 AM UTC

lynx23 wrote: post #22

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

I was very excited about EVs reducing the noise level in my city. Until I realized that most of the noise of a modern car actually comes from the tires. There sin't much difference between a modern non-EV car and an EV, sadly.

If you're in the UK, most of the noise comes from "the kids" buying cheap compact cars (Fiat 500s seem popular) and modifying the exhaust to sound like a very, very poor man's Ferrari, or on Sundays, motorbikes.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#54

Post by nonethewiser » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:20 AM UTC

s_dev wrote: post #11

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming". It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

But what is your rebuttal to that? Seems obvious that it's safer if you can hear it than if you cant.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#55

Post by SargeDebian » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:20 AM UTC

s_dev wrote: post #11

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming". It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

A while ago someone was driving my hybrid car towards me in electric mode. They passed an older lady going in the same direction driving ~10KM/h (6MPH), until the elderly lady made an abrupt 90 degree right turn and walked into the rear door. I guess there is something to say for modern EVs making some kind of artificial zooming noise, though I'm not sure it would have helped this lady as the car was already making noise on the cobblestones.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#56

Post by wildrhythms » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:20 AM UTC

s_dev wrote: post #11

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming". It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

Same logic created the "Loud pipes save lives!" mantra among motorcyclists despite the fact that there's no evidence to support this. By the time a car driver hears the bike it's already too late to avoid an accident.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#57

Post by quora » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:20 AM UTC

s_dev wrote: post #11

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming". It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

Having started cycling recently I think people use sound to cross more than you expect. I've had people step into my path multiple times without looking purely because they can't hear me.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#58

Post by darkteflon » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:20 AM UTC

Grimburger wrote: post #48

darkteflon wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see this take about Japan all the time and do not understand it. No offence, but have you spent any time in Japan? Rural areas might be quiet for sheer low population density, but the cities are disgusting. PM2.5 levels in Tokyo yesterday were like 6x WHO limits and absolutely no one on the local news was talking about it. Every morning I see pregnant and new mothers with infants or small children squeezing between…

> but the cities are disgusting Which non-Japanese cities are you comparing it to here?

Take your pick. There’s no special magic to Japanese cities. They’re dominated by traffic and construction, full stop. The air is filthy.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#59

Post by bluescrn » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:20 AM UTC

Cars are a fairly constant and relatively low-level background noise, except for boy racers with intentionally-loud exhausts and revving aggressively, or anyone honking angrily.

Trucks and buses going over speed bumps, now that's much more annoying road noise (when there's a speed bump on a moderately busy road just outside your bedroom window)

Frequent emergency sirens and car alarms, they're pretty loud and sleep-interrupting.

Intoxicated groups of people making their way home at 2am can seen very loud too, in the worst way (yelling/arguing/singing badly)

Skateboards are surprisingly loud too.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#60

Post by doubled112 » Fri, May 19, 2023, 11:21 AM UTC

s_dev wrote: post #11

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming". It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

Sometimes you can hear something before you can see it.

You can hear in all directions but only see so wide.

A backup beeper is a safety feature purposely installed on trucks because it helps to hear that the truck is backing up before it runs into you.

That said, I still look both ways before I step out into the street.