Running in a quiet street yesterday I could sense something was behind me. I turned round and the front bumper of a Toyota hybrid was about a foot from my calf. No noise at all.
I suspect this is going to be a more frequent occurrence on the roads and we cannot be only reliant on our ears. Searching the internet, I see that rear view mirrors are available for cycle helmets. But nothing for runners.
Perhaps electric cars should also be fitted with a non-aggressive warning like a bicycle bell.
Had a similar experience with a Renault Zoe - though I could hear a weird sound amongst my headphone music as it approached. Apparently a warning noise is now mandatory. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elect...
My Honda Jazz hybrid makes a weird spaceship sound at low speeds.
It sounds like this:
Long term its definitely going to be an issue, especially with the steady decline in driving standards.
I've seen cyclists using this kind of thing which clips to specs/sunnies
I actually have more problems with bicycles and electric scooters. They're near silent.
Sadly, the legal requirement for a bell to be fitted to a bike was abolished in 1999.
And few cyclist seem to use them even when they have one! A cyclist friend says he feels it sounds aggressive, but as a moderately deaf person, I deeply wish they would use those bells!
Yes I sometimes have dark thoughts about some cyclists. I run along a pathway beside a road which has a cycle lane, which very few cyclists use. Instead they prefer to use the pathway - I guess they feel safer - but some of them bomb along the path at a speed which would be pretty hazardous for any pedestrian they might crash into. And some electric scooter riders do the same.
Agree with you totally about bicycles I've almost been taken out on several occasions by mountain bikes in the woods when running and walking. It's worse when they go in convoy
I had a Toyota hybrid for a few weeks this summer, and I’d say you were unfortunate to catch one in all electric mode… good on fuel, but engine was almost constantly on for me.
We need some kind of rear scanning radar… no doubt Garmin and the likes can do this as they do it for bikes, so I expect a hefty price tag and requirement for a new (probably top end) watch when it comes out 🤣
buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/6...
Edit: I stand corrected, it is compatible with some current/last generation watches.
As a runner and an electric car driver I am very conscious about how quiet electric vehicles are. I keep a look out for children especially. As someone else mentions they do have an artificial sound generator up to I think 20mph. Were you running in the road?
I'm afraid they don't all have sound generators - we recently bought a second hand eGolf and it doesn't make any extra sounds.
I quite agree Heavy foot, I've have had similar experiences myself. We now seem to have to navigate silent vehicles, electric scooters on roads and pavements and the perennial adult cyclists using pavements - all seem to come out of nowhere! I know running in open spaces is less problematic, but we can't always run in parks. All I can say is stay vigilant everyone and best wishes for collision free runs😗
There was a recent discussion about which side of the road you should run on if there's no pavement, and this does suggest that running on the right, towards the oncoming traffic so that you can see approaching vehicles, is the better option, as recommended in the Highway Code highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-f...
I copied this idea from a fellow EV driver. I have a 2015 Nissan Leaf that makes a warning sound for pedestrians up to 18 mph. I bought an Aldi wireless front door bell that cost £5.99. The main unit sits behind the front charging flap and the operating button is handy inside the car. It can play a multitude of different tunes and the one I use comprises a number of high and low tones, which one person has recognised as being by Vivaldi. I haven't had to use it yet as in 5 years all but one person has heard my car approaching.
I'll have a 99 with sprinkles please. 😆
That's amazing. You might have just heard its relation, Nissan's e-NV200 non-ICE cream van 
If I am not mistaken Tesla are going to add some sort of external horn to alarm people who are too close to the vehicle. Hope it is not just rumour. I used to think that the silence of EV is an advantage because the less noise we have outside the better our nerve systems are but there carplus.co.uk/ is another side to the coin.
5k PB in hot weather 
Another townie picture
My First Parkrun 😃😃
Breathing from mouth?
