alcoa wrote on 06/17/09 at 03:45:10:I do not think a loud muffler makes you any safer. I have been passed by a loud bike and did not hear it till it was beside me and in front...
That bike must not have been very loud or your definition of loud differs from mine. Me, I only occasionally come across a bike that I think is loud. Not too often, honestly. But to the little old lady down the road just about every bike is probably loud to her. Definitions differ.
The newly-introduced Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 deals with the issues of electric vehicles being too quiet.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/23/pedestrian-safety-enhancement-act-int... Some companies are already one step ahead of this legislation with products intended to add some extra sound to silent vehicles.
"...
Other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, bicyclists, runners, and small children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines. New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other."
Apparently they believe a louder car reduces accidents as compared to quieter cars. Now I'm no traffic safety engineer, but I think the same would apply to motorcycles. I bet one day someone will do some research and find out that quiet scooters can be more dangerous in blind spots and blind intersections than a loud motorcycle. I don't need the research to know this but some do.
Also:
http://www.bikernewsonline.com/2008/04/pedestrian-safety-enhancement-act-of.htmA few times in my life I;ve almost pulled out in front of a bike that I didn't see. But I've never almost pulled out in front of a bike that I heard coming.