With a recent post on EV's it jogged a memory about the rubbish that gets spruiked in social and tabloid media about how dangerous EV cars are. I responded to the SMH about one of these outrageous claims a while ago. Hope you enjoy it
As an EV owner, I was interested in the following from The SMH Drive section (dated Feb 21st, 2020) on electric cars:
"According to Vision Australia, more than 380,000 Australians are blind or have low vision, with most citing walking their main means of transport. What? They are not driving? This can't be right! Given some of the idiots that do drive must be blind. I digress...
A 2018 report from Vision Australia and the Monash University Accident Research Centre found 35 per cent of people who are blind or have low vision have been involved in a collision or near-collision with an electric or hybrid vehicle"
So running the actual numbers, some 133,000 visually impaired people have had either been hit or had a near miss with an EV or Hybrid car!
Given there are only 6000 or so EV's or Hybrid vehicles actually on Australian roads at present, this is an extraordinary good effort by EV owners.
In round numbers, each and every EV driver must have run-over or come close to cleaning-up 2 dozen blind people since purchasing their vehicles.
That's quite a score.
I've only managed to just miss a few phone Zombies so far. I'm embarrassed to say my score is still zero for my first golden retriever and white cane carrying owner.
In desperation have tried several runs around my local Spec Savers car park, but to no avail. I guess it's the bright red duco that gives my car away.
As to whether the visually impaired population saw any of the other 19.2 million vehicles on Australian roads headed their way is not made by clear by this astounding survey...which lays the blame squarely at the feet of EV's because they are simply "too quiet" and pose a clear threat to those whose vision is terribly unclear.
The Monash uni accident centre has some explaining to do....why is my score so low? But if truth be told.... their study is a steaming crock of BS.
Last edited by Peter Ward; 05-09-2024 at 03:14 PM.
yeah i dont know much about being blind...but i know a thing or two about how surveys are done....
the data for the monash report looks like it was generated from 2 focus groups of a few people each, and a survey of about 270 people.
(how sad is this, i downloaded it and skimmed through it)
they did have questions that asked how many times survey participants had a collision or near collision....multiple choice ranging from zero to a few...
I'm just thinking - if i was asked to participate in a 20 minute survey for something that had never affected me (E.g. Blind, but never had a miss or a near-miss) i probably would decline the kind offer to waste my time....
this non-civic attitude would skew the results towards people for whom the subject matter is a concern...
I have called the hybrid Camry "whispering death" after nearly being hit at low speed by a local taxi but it wasn't on the road, it was in a service station/truck stop. They didn't notice I'd stepped out from between the bowsers while looking down at something after having a meal break and taking off while not paying attention. It was no ones fault and while it was close they didn't actually hit me (they really should have been paying attention) but it was so close and I didn't hear a thing. I'm more observant now.
Peter did you live and have a dome at Engadine (or thereabouts, my memory isn't great) back around 94?
I was delivering Crystal soft drinks in the south of Sydney and one customer had a nice dome in the yard, his wife said he was a commercial pilot. From memory I only delivered the drinks when the wife was home. I didn't meet the husband but I would have loved to have had a look at the dome.
I have called the hybrid Camry "whispering death" after nearly being hit at low speed by a local taxi but it wasn't on the road, it was in a service station/truck stop. They didn't notice I'd stepped out from between the bowsers while looking down at something after having a meal break and taking off while not paying attention. It was no ones fault and while it was close they didn't actually hit me (they really should have been paying attention) but it was so close and I didn't hear a thing. I'm more observant now.
Peter did you live and have a dome at Engadine (or thereabouts, my memory isn't great) back around 94?
I was delivering Crystal soft drinks in the south of Sydney and one customer had a nice dome in the yard, his wife said he was a commercial pilot. From memory I only delivered the drinks when the wife was home. I didn't meet the husband but I would have loved to have had a look at the dome.
It is true you have to have a good look in the reversing camera before moving in an EV. I have surprised many a shopper by having the car move silently.
As for the dome, yes we were in Engadine for a short time. I would have been on the B767 fleet with Qantas then....but it was before '94 and, sorry, we never ordered soft drinks.....just a case of wine or maybe two
I believe the gentleman was also importing the domes from memory. It could have been 93 or 94, my memory is like a sieve these days.
Ah...definitely not yours truly. I was not importing domes. My Sirius Observatory (still running well) was made in Queensland.
BTW the Sirius product is simply excellent. Mine is near on 35 years old. Cost me around $7000. So for $200 a year it was one of the best Astro investments I ever made.
With the seismic shift from China and European manufacturers ICE cars will be like photographic film, will go the way of the dinosaur.
Beg to differ here not for the foreseeable future and definitely not within my lifetime in their current guise , nor do I see Australia achieving emission standards by 2035 or even 2050
It is hard to predict exactly when the really big and fundamental change in car market will happen..
It will depend on power storage (batteries), of course... and how power is generated. It is still VERY hard to compete with petrol energy density.
Currently, batteries are still too expensive (to replace), too small (in capacity and energy density) and too dangerous (to environment and to operate.. what happens in case of accidents? ).
And.. all my cars in Oz were second-hand and I paid 5-10k$ for each one of them. I don't plan to change that strategy (and so the majority of Aussies I think).
Beg to differ here not for the foreseeable future and definitely not within my lifetime in their current guise
Yep its going to be a while...
As of January 2023, the total number of registered vehicles in Australia was more than 21 million. That year, the number of passenger vehicles in Australia amounted to approximately 15.33 million. Light commercial vehicles, which accounted for about 3.95 million, came next.
we sell about 1 million passenger cars in australia per yer...
so even if new ICE vehicle sales were banned tomorrow...it would still take 15 years to replace them all...
And.. all my cars in Oz were second-hand and I paid 5-10k$ for each one of them. I don't plan to change that strategy (and so the majority of Aussies I think).
I bought my current EB II Falcon (8/92 build date) as a repairable write off 17 years ago for $650 and it took me 6 months to get it back on the road. It only had 125,000 on the speedo. I don't do a lot of driving, mainly to the local shops and back, it now has around 200,000 on the speedo but is currently unregistered until a new brake master cylinder gets delivered, hopefully early enough today so I can get down for an inspection so I have my car for the weekend to do some shopping.
A quick Google search will objectively show the uptake of EV's in Oz is increasing rapidly.
Our first Tesla was an extremely rare bird seven years ago. People often looked twice probably wondering what make it was.
At the time EV sales were about 0.5% of all car sales.
Now they are 8-9% in climbing. In Norway over 90% of new vehicle sales are EV's. I'd happily wager Australia will headed to 50% by 2030.
I am not sure why some think EV's are inherently unsafe...the USA's NHTSA (similar to our ANCAP ) rated Tesla with more than five stars as it had the lowest probability causing of injury to the occupants after a crash *any car ever tested to date* (look it up it you don't believe me)
BTW those that dared to suggest at local camera clubs in the mid 1990's that digital would replace film were similarly met pitch-forks , clubs and flares.
You can ignore history but I'd suggest it will be at your peril...
I don't think they are unsafe, I think they are expensive for anyone on a disability pension who was forcibly retired before superannuation became compulsory.
I'm broke not cheap!
I'd love the acceleration, as mentioned, I've driven them in my sons games and the acceleration is amazing with real game physics.
.... nice one Peter
