SB 841: Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 has already passed through the Senate and the House without so much as a debate. This law will require automakers to include noisemakers in cars driven by electric motors. While on the surface this may seem like a simple and straightforward law, the issue is that there is no supporting evidence that says it is needed. It does assure us that as the vehicles become more common on the street, backgound noise will be negatively impacted by cars that will be required by law to have noisemakers installed.

This law should not be passed for two reasons: 1. There is no scientific or even anecdotal evidence that such a law is required. 2. Congress should not be arbritrarily passing laws just because they seem like a good idea. Even worse, this bill wasn't even debated.

This law adds a cost burden to car manufacturers and therefore to car consumers by adding equipment that has no supporting data that it is needed, nor is there supporting data that it will provide any positive benefit at all.

I request that this law be vetoed until further research and study can actually prove that any such noise device will have any positive value, because as it stands the only thing this law can guarantee is that the streets will become even noisier as more of these cars are available on the road.