Pedestrian Alerts for EVs, Hybrids

All EVs should have a man with a red flag walking in front.
More seriously, audible warnings are ok if they are not obtrusive (but if not obtrusive will they warn?) and no louder than a 'regular car', what we don't want is a loud irritating voice of the 'vehicle reversing' type.
It rather begs the question should a top end Rolls Royce be fitted with one too as it it is doubtless pretty quiet.
Del

You wrote, "All EVs should have a man with a red flag walking in front."

After about 30 to 40 miles you will have a tow truck in front. That would be pretty loud.

Actually, I think that schools and parents should teach kids about safety and looking both ways before crossing the street first.

I can't count how many times I see people just cross a street without looking or walking with traffic along a road or just walking down the middle of the street with traffic in both directions. I am left with the impression that parents and schools no long teach kids to be responsible for their own safety.

What is worse is there is a trend that now shifts personal responsibility away from the individual. Now we have a culture that thinks and acts as if someone else is supposed to protect them from themselves so that they can continue to text from the state of oblivion.

This is exactly the same as Daytime Running Lights: Having the right-of-way, and being noticed are two different things.

The brain can notice headlights much quicker than it can interpret the visual cues of a moving car. And, sound vs. silence for a blind person: no contest!

Everyone says, "I watch where I am driving, and I will stop if someone steps (or drives) out in front of me." But, wouldn't it be better if the person noticed you coming, by seeing or hearing, and stayed out of your way? An ounce of prevention ...

The point in another reply about annoying sounds is a good one. The Running Sound should be a uniform sound and volume. NHTSA should record a quiet piston-engined car, like a Honda Civic, and dictate that sound at some dB level at a fixed distance.

While we are talking about annoying sounds, let's dictate a quiet remote door-lock indication, and stop honking the horn! I'm trying to sleep!!

"But, wouldn't it be better if the person noticed you coming, by seeing or hearing, and stayed out of your way?"

Yes, but for many people that would involve an inordinate amount of effort. Any better ideas?

Baseball cards in the spokes, a piezo churper or let's go all out, and a Klaxon horn when vehicle is rolling at <5MPH would be smart.

It is eerie to have 1200 lbs of recycled Chinese steel rolling silently behind you.

I look both ways and all that, but still almost got hit TWICE in the same parking lot, walking to my fav coffee shop.

Two smug Priusii trying to attack me within a minute of each other.

Maybe this proves that coffee is bad for you. (I hope not!)