Safety experts have warned for years that today's hybrid-
electric and fully-electric automobiles, because they emit
little or, in some cases, almost no engine noise, pose
significant safety risks in a culture where pedestrians and
bicyclists are accustomed to engine noise, and as such, are
further endangered by the "stealth" effect of fuel-sipping
hybrids. Congress required that the National Highway
Transportation Safety Administration develop standards for
minimum vehicle noise generation as part of the Pedestrian
Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, and the administration released
the proposed rules today, according to its website. A 60-day
public comment period will begin as soon as the proposed rules
are published in the Federal Register, so the provisions will
not take effect immediately. Vehicle manufacturers are sure to
be involved in the comments, and you're also interested, now's
the time to blow your horn about this development, one way or
the other. Basically, hybrids and electrics would have to emit
sp