No noise: the electric car glides silently down the road. The urban environment benefits, but… pedestrians, cyclists, vulnerable individuals such as visually impaired people, navigate traffic by also relying on acoustic information. At low speeds, electric cars are so quiet that it's almost impossible to hear them coming. Safety or silence, must we choose? How can we reconcile these two interests?
The European Union has taken action. Since July 2019, the AVAS system has been mandatory for all newly registered electric or hybrid vehicles. Since July 2021, the obligation has been extended to all electric and hybrid cars in circulation: if the car doesn't have it, AVAS must be installed.
The foundation of the regulation is solid. As numerous studies show, accidents between pedestrians and silent vehicles are more frequent than accidents with "traditional" vehicles. In particular, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – the American governmental agency for transportation safety – highlighted a 19% increase in risk.
The AVAS system
What is AVAS? The acronym stands for Audible Vehicle Alert System, an "artificial noise" system that emits a sound with an intensity between 56 and 75 decibels. The device activates automatically in reverse and at speeds below 20 km/h, and deactivates when the speed increases. According to various tests, at higher speeds, natural noise is sufficient to signal the vehicle's presence. In hybrid vehicles, AVAS only activates when the vehicle is operating in electric mode. Important: the AVAS system cannot be deactivated by the driver under any circumstances.
The AVAS signal spreads mainly outside, so it is not annoying for those inside the cabin. The emitted sound is similar to the acoustic signal of pedestrian traffic lights, but some car manufacturers have decided to "personalize" it. This ranges from the music of Fellini's Amarcord to themes specially composed by a famous contemporary composer; some have chosen a "song" inspired by science fiction, and others have prepared a playlist of elaborate and mixed sounds.
Safety or silence? Perhaps urban traffic is not yet accustomed to silence...
