[bwilson4web]

My opposition to putting noise makers on hybrids came from the proposed solution making hybrids just as deadly as today's cars. This was re-enforced by accident data showing no abnormal rates of Prius pedestrian accidents. But I had been impressed by an NHTSA special accident investigation associated with back-over accidents that has never been done for putting 'pedestrian alerts' on Prius.

Since the NHTSA failed to do a hybrid-pedestrian accident investigation, I started looking at Google news reported "Prius accident" and "Prius cash." The Prius has been and continues to be over half of all USA hybrids and the poster child by the advocates. So I've been collecting accident records here:

http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/accident.html

Now one of the earliest lessons learned about pedestrian accidents is they peak in the winter months and this is mid-February. The NHTSA reports this due to more darkness and worse weather. Certainly those elements are found in the 2010-2011, Prius-pedestrian accidents. But so too is a problem with how many of these accidents are happening at speeds well in excess of the reported "sound threshold" . . . the speed at which tire and other noise are already equal. But I'm seeing other lessons learned:

• out of lane - either the Prius or equally, another car, leaves their lane leading to a cash and collision. Lane-keep-assist directly addresses these accidents.
• accident avoidance braking systems - we don't see reports of skid marks but an unblinking, always looking, collision detection system would apply the brakes and stiffen the seat belt to avoid or mitigate the effects of a collision.

I've also noticed the advanced age of many Prius drives involved in these accidents, especially because at 61, I'm entering the same danger zone. Our eyes become weaker and reflexes not so fast. Yet we live in a country where the auto is not optional but necessary. So systems that make our Prius less hazardous to ourselves and others have a lot of appeal.

Bob Wilson

[jdenenberg]

bwilson4web said:

I've also noticed the advanced age of many Prius drives involved in these accidents, especially because at 61, I'm entering the same danger zone.

You youngster! I will be 68 next month.

JeffD

[bwilson4web]

I'm following Prius fatal accidents because there is a gap between the numerical accounting of the FARS database and what actually happened. I had made an assumption that the distribution of fatalities in FARS should be proportional to the number of fatalities divided by the number of cars:

• "n" fatalities / 1 prius -> "n" Prius fatalities
• "n" fatalities / 1 prius + "m" cars -> "n/(1+m)" Prius fatalities

So far, this seems to be a valid assumption and suggests we can gain insights for all vehicles by doing a similar analysis for all makes and models. Then if we divide the vehicle fatalities by the annual mileage, we can evaluate the relative, fatality risks of each. But this means I'm using Google news to search for stories about Prius accidents and Prius crashes and occasionally learning that some standard safety practices have a basis in fact such as this recent law suit:

. . . driving on King Street near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue at about 7:15 p.m. Jan. 14, 2009, when she lost control of her car (2001 Prius) and left the road. Her car spun around and rolled over multiple times, causing her to be thrown from the driver's-side window and pinned under her car.

. . driving on King Street near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue at about 7:15 p.m. Jan. 14, 2009, when she lost control of her car and left the road. Her car spun around and rolled over multiple times, causing her to be thrown from the driver's-side window and pinned under her car.

"For years prior to the plaintiff's collision, the defendants had knowledge of numerous prior incidents with its vehicles, including many injuries by loss of control, rollovers and ejections from vehicles,"

Read more: http://www.greenwichtime.com/default...#ixzz1FlOPJXVW

Seat belts keeps people in cars and sad to say, this accident reads like someone was not wearing their seat belt. As for defects in the NHW11, I've seen photos of one that rolled but no one was injured ... until they released their belt and fell against the roof. The car ended upside down. In the 1960s, my Dad, a physician, installed seat-belts in our vehicles and I remain amazed that anyone would drive any car without wearing one.

Bob Wilson

[kingki]

What are the differences between prius NHW 20 and ZVW 30

[bwilson4web]

After updating the collection of Prius accidents, I'm beginning to wonder if the number of multi-car accidents with the Prius are initiated by a disproportionate rate of non-Prius vehicles. If so, this suggests analysis of all accidents may lead to more effective campaigns that target the vehicles and drivers who have the greatest probability of an accident. Speculation, it will take another 10 months of data before a detailed analysis can be made of the 2011, fatal accidents.

Bob Wilson